


Detour to Destiny

by 20SomethingSuperHeroes



Series: The Arizona Avengers [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Angst, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Remembers, Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Spoilers, Clint Barton's Farm, Crushes, Family, Fluff and Angst, Love/Hate, Memories, Other, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Psychological Trauma, Reunions, Road Trips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-30
Updated: 2016-11-30
Packaged: 2018-09-03 05:41:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 99,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8699455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/20SomethingSuperHeroes/pseuds/20SomethingSuperHeroes
Summary: A different choice...that is what Bucky Barnes is offered when the Doctor appears out of nowhere in Siberia. That different choice takes him, Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, Natasha Romanoff, and Wanda Maximoff on a road trip across the U.S. to get back to his foster family in Arizona. The only thing to stop him? Himself.Setting: subsequent to the events of Captain America: Civil War. AU Timeline.DEDICATION: To my old roommate and dear friend Chelsea. Chelsea, if it hadn't been for your encouragement, I probably would have gone on stewing about the end of Civil War instead of writing this. This will be waiting for you when you get back from your mission.





	1. Prologue and A Timely Arrival

Prologue

Brooklyn, January 1942

It was a dry and bitter cold afternoon, but there was no wind over the water as they stood over the edge of the wharf and talked. Steve being the shorter of the two, his eyes were drawn to the dark harbor below them more frequently. Bucky looked up, across the water to the pier on the other side, to the buildings above the bank and the ships below it. 

Steve looked upward again, wondering if he had his eyes on the same thing Bucky did.

“You should be with your family, Buck,” said Steve morosely.

“Nah, I’ve spent all day with them,” said Bucky. “To be honest I’ve had enough of my mother and sister fawning over me, trying to pack and re-pack my bags.”

“Right,” said Steve. “If my mom was alive, I’ll bet she’d be giving you the mother hen treatment, too.” Bucky snickered.

Steve didn’t say that if he was leaving tomorrow, too, then she’d be giving him as much attention and love as Bucky was getting from Mrs. Barnes and Mary. But she wasn’t there to give him that attention. She wasn’t there to feel sorry that he wasn’t going to boot camp, or at least encouraging him to put his energies somewhere else the way Bucky and his family did. 

Steve did his best to not feel sorry for himself, but from time to time he fell short. It made it harder knowing that his best friend had been accepted into the Army without complications, and that he was going to war alone. 

Steve glanced up at Bucky. Bucky was observing him. Did he sense Steve’s moment of weakness right then?”

“Hey,” Steve said, giving a little shrug, “at least one of us is going.”

“Don’t talk like that,” said Bucky, masking his concern with a grin and patting Steve on the back. “You’ll find something to do.”

“Right. Maybe.” Steve looked across the bay again. Then he looked at Bucky. “Buck, I know you’ve always looked after me. I can look after myself. You know that.”

“I know you can,” said Bucky. “But what happens if you pick a fight with the neighborhood bullies again and I’m not there to back you up? Or what if you try to do something stupid to get yourself in the army?”

Steve looked at Bucky. “I won’t do that.”

“Steve, you’re a terrible liar. You’re itching to do something. As soon as I’m gone, you’re going to get into real trouble, you know?”

Steve looked at Bucky. “What about you? Will you be okay?” Steve had never doubted that his friend could take care of himself. 

Bucky sniffed. “I’m sure boot camp isn’t going to be as hard as everyone says it is. I’ll be fine. I’m in great physical shape, I’m smart, I’ve got everything going for me, Dad says.”

“But what about after?” said Steve quietly. “What about when…you know?”

Bucky gave Steve a faint smile. “Well...I don’t know about that. But I’m not going to let that bother me just now.”

They returned to looking across the harbor. 

“There’s something else I’ve been wondering, though, about you,” said Bucky.

“What’s that?”

“Are you going to stay here in Brooklyn?”

Steve shrugged. “Would I leave only because you’re not here?”

“I wouldn’t blame you. You know, with a war going on, there’s lots of opportunities for work, and for travel. You might as well get out while you can. Go and do something...I dunno.”

“Why would I want to do that?”

“I dunno,” said Bucky. “You always seemed like...you were meant for bigger things. You know that?”

Steve sniffed. “I’m not. Look at me.”

“It’s not about appearances.”

“Yeah, well what about you?” asked Steve. “Going to war changes people, you know. You may not want to come home.”

Bucky smirked. “You think that’s going to change, really?”

“It could,” said Steve. “I’m just saying. A lot of guys, after the last war, they went out, either they never came home again because they liked Europe better--”

“You’ve been reading too much--”

“Or they came home and they wanted things to be different.”

“Me? No.”

“I mean, you might not go over there and fall for an English girl or a French girl--”

“American girls are prettier--”

“But you might come back and...you might decide to go somewhere else. Not even related to the war. I’m just saying.”

“Nonsense, Steve. Brooklyn will always be home to me. Besides, if you’re still here, why would I want to go anywhere else?” Bucky rustled Steve’s hair.

“Suppose I’m not here anymore after the war? What if I took your advice and decided to see the world a little?”

Bucky gave Steve a broad smile. “Then I’ll find someplace new to belong. Easy as that.”

“Belonging somewhere isn’t as easy as it looks.”

“I know.” Bucky leaned against the railing with his arms folded. They were both quiet for a moment, lost in thought.

“Bucky,” said Steve.

“Yeah?”

“I’m going to miss you.”

Bucky shrugged. “You don’t have to say anything.” He touched Steve’s shoulder. 

Present Day

It must have been the cold that brought back this memory when he blacked out again from the pain. He came to when he felt Steve touching his good shoulder. The pain from the empty socket of his prosthetic rushed back and coursed all through his body. He convulsed and shook, trying with all his might not to scream.

“Easy there, Bucky. Easy. I’m right here. Just look at me.”

He let out his breath in a long shudder. Then he looked up at Steve. Steve had taken off the helmet. His dark blond hair was damp with sweat, his eyes wide with worry and fear and sadness. But somewhere behind all that, Bucky could still see the eyes of the friend he’d had growing up in Brooklyn. 

He felt himself fainting again and tried to grip Steve tighter. His good hand slipped. The fingertips were cold and losing feeling. 

“Where’s Stark?” Bucky gasped. 

“I powered down his suit,” said Steve. “He won’t come after us.” 

They had climbed out of the side of the bunker onto the icy slope of the mountain and they were hiding in a utility exit in one of the clefts. The wind was blowing. Occasional snowflakes brushed past them. The three-sided cement structure worked as a momentary shelter, but Bucky knew that in his condition he would have to get help fast or he would die. He could still feel blood coming from his wound--warm and sticky everywhere it got, but the cold air was chilling it...freezing it...

“What are we gonna do?” 

“I don’t know. I’m gonna stay with you, though.”

“Can we get back to the QuinJet?”

Steve shook his head. “It’s too far. Stark or Zemo might be waiting for us.”

It was hopeless. With his good arm, Bucky attempted to pull himself closer to Steve. Steve picked him up and let Bucky rest his head on his shoulder. Steve didn’t care that blood was getting all over his suit. He already had plenty of cuts and bruises of his own. Steve also wasn’t much warmer--that Captain America uniform wasn’t very warm at all--but at least, leaning closer together, Steve and Bucky were able to share body heat. Steve rubbed his back, and that relaxed Bucky a little. He sighed. His relationship with Steve might be complicated at this point, but at least Steve was willing to protect him. ‘Beggars can’t be choosers,’ he remembered Jo Tanner saying.

“You think we could go back inside?” asked Bucky. “At least sit inside the door, so we’re not freezing to death?”

“I like that idea,” Steve said quietly, but with a hint of a smile. He pulled himself away from Bucky and stood up to try the door. 

“M-m-maybe inside,” Bucky gasped, his teeth chattering as he clutched his side, “if we looked...there’s medical facilities...first aid...bandages...painkillers, anything. I-I don’t know this place very well, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

There wasn’t a key code for the door on the outside. There wasn’t even a handle. There was a narrow crack between the edge and the cement door frame but not enough space for Steve to pry his fingers between. 

Bucky leaned against the wall and looked out at the icy landscape. He’d been such an idiot, leading Steve out here. How could he have been so foolish to believe that Zemo was really raising an army with Hydra’s other super-soldiers? Of course they would have died in their sleep ages ago--this place had been abandoned for years. Hydra had moved him around different locations after the Soviet Union fell. 

Now Steve’s other friends were in UN custody--probably locked up somewhere, pinned inside of a box like he’d been, maybe--all for nothing. More people who were trying to do the right thing, hurt for nothing. And it was all his fault. 

Well, no, not really--he’d been minding his own business in Romania when the bombing happened in Vienna. 

No, it was before then. He hadn’t been careful enough while in hiding. 

What business did he have, someone like him, trying to live a normal life? That’s what all of it came to, that he’d been trying at all. And that he kept failing.

The emotional pain weighed on him heavily, almost as bad as the physical and the mental. That, with the hopelessness of their situation, was enough to make him start crying. Just enough to get wet around the eyes and the tears to make his cheeks sting. But he couldn’t let himself cry--not in front of Steve. They had enough problems already--not without being a crybaby, as Hillary had called him once when she’d accused him of only wanting to hide. 

Why did he ever leave Arizona? Why did he ever leave Hydra? Why wasn’t he dead? Why did he go on living? It didn’t make sense to him anymore. He’d caused nothing but grief to everyone trying to help him, especially Steve. And the rest of the world just picked on him.

He glanced over his shoulder once. Steve was still trying to figure out how to open the door. Bucky wiped his face on his good arm--his nose was running, so in between the snot and the tears and the blood his face must have looked spectacular. 

“Why don’t you just jam your shield in there?” Bucky asked him. 

Steve looked at him. Bucky thought Steve was lost for words trying to figure out how his face had gotten even messier. But Steve didn’t comment on that.

“I left the shield with Stark,” said Steve. “He told me I didn’t deserve it.” 

Steve went back to trying to pry open the door. Bucky had no idea how to respond to this revelation. And he was in too much pain at the moment to comprehend the significance of it.

Bucky went back to staring down at the frozen wasteland below them. The clouds in the distance looked dark and snow was coming out of them. The wind was starting to pick up. It was pretty obvious that they needed to hurry and find shelter. Maybe they could hide out in that terrible place for a while and starve. Or maybe they would freeze to death together...how fitting…

He thought it was a trick of the wind at first, but then the low humming noise grew louder. He saw a dark shape swooping around the mountain, some kind of an aircraft, not the Quinjet, but bulkier in its design.

Steve stopped what he was doing when he heard the noise and watched. He sat down behind Bucky.

“Is that Hydra?” Steve asked him.

“No. I’ve never seen a plane like that before.”

The plane swooped around in a circle in front of the mountainside. At one point the cockpit was tipped over so that the pilot could have a clear view of them--but they couldn’t see who was flying it.

Steve helped Bucky to scoot back away from the open side of the cleft. The plane drifted towards the ground, lowered its landing gear, and parked a few hundred yards away from them on the slope of the mountain. Then they saw a dark figure come out of the back of it. They watched, holding their breath as the person drew closer.

Steve muttered a profanity. “It’s T’challa.”

Not him again, Bucky thought. Now, of all times for him to show up and finish him off--but maybe it was better this way. Maybe he would let him....

The young king of Wakanda came running towards them, but not in murderous pursuit. He was running to help. Bucky was too dazed to wonder if he believed it. There was something bundled under one arm. The helmet was off, but he was still wearing the rest of the Black Panther suit. Bucky couldn’t help wondering if T’challa felt the cold as bad as he and Steve did. 

Steve looked like he partly wanted to get up and see what T’challa wanted. But he also didn’t want to leave Bucky’s side--not for a moment. Plus it was cold. And the closer T’challa got, the more certain they both were that he was there to help--as incredulous as it sounded.

He was panting as he ran up the slope to reach their hiding spot. Bucky wasn’t sure he recognized T’challa at that moment--the angry, vengeful frown was gone, but replaced with a look of worry. Worry about what? About him? About Steve? What was going on here?

And when T’challa saw the bloody, ripped stump where Bucky’s metal arm had been, that look became more sorrowful. He ran up to the two of them. “Captain--may I--”

“Your highness,” said Steve, nodding.

“I wish I had come sooner,” said T’challa. 

“You’re here to help?” Steve asked.

“I am here to make amends,” T’challa announced as he slowly knelt to the ground. He looked at Bucky. “It is Zemo who killed my father. I am sorry.”

Steve helped Bucky to lie down with his back on the wall. T’challa opened the bag he’d been carrying. He had somehow sheathed the claws of the Black Panther suit so that he could work freely with his hands. He dug through the contents of the bag anxiously, setting aside bandages and tools. He pulled out a syringe. “For the pain,” he said.

Steve and Bucky both nodded. T’challa lowered Bucky’s shirt collar and delivered the injection, while Bucky squeezed Steve tight with his good hand. Then he went back to rummaging in the bag, but then remembered that he’d set a pair of scissors outside of it. 

“I apologize in advance, my friend,” said T’challa. “I do not wish to cause you further pain, while I am helping you. I only have very basic medical training. Let me see the arm.” T’challa tried went to work with the scissors on the stump of Bucky’s left arm, cutting of strands of tissue and metal and getting lots of blood on his hands. It was gross, but at the same time Bucky wondered what those scissors were made of--maybe a vibranium alloy. Whatever had been in that pain injection was fast-acting, too--he could feel T’challa pulling and snipping but it didn’t hurt that badly.

“Where’s Zemo? Have you seen him?” asked Steve. 

“I found Zemo not far from where you and Stark were fighting,” said T’challa, still concentrating on his work. “He will answer to the UN and the CIA for his crimes. He’s bound and gagged on your QuinJet.” T’challa paused and added, “Stark left in your QuinJet, by the way. His suit was heavily damaged. I trust that he will know what to do with Zemo--but do not worry, Zemo is unconscious.” He gave Steve a very faint nod. He then took a bundle of bandages and pressed them to Bucky’s wound. “You hold this here. I am going to find some snow for washing the wound.”

Steve kept the compress in place while T’challa left the cement doorstep to the face of the mountain carrying a bowl. He didn’t have to go very far to find a good bunch of clean snow, and he came back stirring it up so it would melt into water. He had Steve pull the compress away and he washed Bucky’s wound.

Bucky looked at T’challa. “Thank you,” he said quietly, in a strained voice.

“In Wakanda, when one man offends another,” T’challa began, “if the first man recognizes his folly, he does everything in his power to make restitution. As the king, I am no exception to this. I am the servant of my people, in setting the example.” Bucky squirmed uncomfortably as T’challa washed his wound. T’challa drew back momentarily. “Forgive me, I did not want to make you uncomfortable.”

“What else is new?” Bucky said. 

“Captain,” said T’challa, “I can take you and your friend to my country. Both of you. There is a place to rest on my aircraft, and in Wakanda we have advanced medical care, more advanced than the best anywhere else in the world. We can help him.” T’challa put his rag down and rinsed it. Bucky’s wound had stopped bleeding, and it was clean now. 

“What can you do for him?” asked Steve.

“I am not sure. His case is very difficult, you see. Even among my people, brainwashing and torture like this--it is unheard of. But we can give him rest, and treatment for his symptoms, help calm his mind. I promise, I will do whatever it takes to let him be free.” He looked almost pleadingly at Steve.

Steve glanced at Bucky. Bucky honestly didn’t care anymore.

Steve looked back at T’challa. “I suppose we can take what we can get. Thank you, your--”

“NOW JUST A MOMENT, THE THREE OF YOU!” a shout rang across the mountainside, echoing in the concrete cleft. 

Bucky thought he faintly recognized the voice. He looked up along with Steve and T’challa, to see a man running up towards them, wearing a long gray trenchcoat and a scarf. The man had curly gray hair and a saggy face. 

Bucky started to sit up. “You--you--” Steve gripped Bucky’s shoulder and held him back.

T’challa rose to his feet and sized the man up. “Who are you?” he asked.

The man took a couple of deep breaths. “I am the Doctor. I’m a Time Lord--I travel through time and space, protecting the universe. But of course you probably haven’t heard of me, Your Highness. I haven’t been to Wakanda since five regenerations ago, after I was banished by your grandfather--you wear the suit well, by the way. And I am sorry to hear of your father’s recent passing.”

“What do you want?”

The Doctor looked down at Bucky. He knelt beside him. “Your family in Arizona is in grave danger. Hydra has returned there. Hillary and Coulson will need your help to fight them.”

Hillary. 

Arizona. 

Family.

Home.

Bucky’s eyes widened.

“Yes. Hillary.”

Bucky’s heart was racing. If there were any thoughts that could have warmed him--that could have helped him to feel better--it was thoughts of his adopted family. If there was anywhere in the world he could be safe, it was there. Wakanda was safe, for sure, but it wasn’t home. 

And if the Tanners were in danger, then it was probably his fault. He needed to make sure they wouldn’t be hurt.

“Take me...”

“Yes, I will,” said the Doctor. “First we will get you on board the TARDIS. I have better medical facilities there. I can get you treatment for your immediate injuries and then some. All right?”

“Anything,” said Bucky, nodding hastily. “Just get me back...to Arizona.”

“Doctor, I must protest,” said T’challa as the Doctor rose to his feet. “Barnes and the Captain had just agreed to let me take them to my country.”

“That’s incredibly rude of you, too, might I add,” said Steve, “barging in like that.”

“Rogers, didn’t you hear a word of what I just told him?” said the Doctor. “Let’s not dally another moment! You two carry him and I’ll get you all on board.”

“Where is your spaceship?” asked Steve.

“The TARDIS is just a little ways down the mountain to your right,” the Doctor said, pointing out of the cleft. “Carry him the best you can. I’ll lead the way.”

“Bucky, can you walk?” Steve asked his injured friend.

“I don’t know,” said Bucky quietly. He tried to sit himself up, scooting forward away from the wall. He cringed with the pain and stopped, clutching himself again.

“Here,” said T’challa, standing at Bucky’s other side, opposite from Steve. “We will carry him together. Steve took Bucky’s good arm over his shoulder and hoisted him carefully. 

T’challa grabbed him from the left, one arm around Bucky’s back and the other hand pressing the bandage on his left shoulder. Bucky could do little better than to drag his feet as Steve and T’challa led him out of the concrete shelter. The wind outside was fast and biting and made their eyes water. The snow was starting to pick up a little. Steve and T’challa stumbled onto the open ground with their burden. It was all Bucky could do to hold on to Steve by his good arm. He couldn’t bring himself to walk over the rocks and frozen dirt. 

“And I could have brought a stretcher for him,” T’challa muttered. 

“Relax, it’s right over there,” said Steve. Off to their right, the TARDIS was parked on a flat rock sticking out of the hillside. The Doctor was waiting for them a little ways ahead. 

“Do you need help?” he asked them, raising his voice so he could be heard over the head.

“I think we’ve got him,” Steve answered, but at that moment he slipped a little and T’challa had to grab Bucky and Steve both. 

After a rough, awkward minute of traversing the side of the mountain, they reached the TARDIS. The Doctor was waiting with the door held open.

The interior had changed a little since Bucky had been in the TARDIS two years ago. There was no staircase leading down to the control room, just a short walkway. The decoration was dark, but the lighting made it appear inviting.

“This way,” said the Doctor, leading their group inside. He hung his coat and scarf on a coat rack to one side and put on a dark gray sport jacket. The air inside of the TARDIS was still and, more importantly, warm. Bucky felt the fingers on his good hand and his toes beginning to thaw out. 

The Doctor led them across the control room floor to a flight of stairs. Bucky was able to walk up them, but Steve still had to help him carry his body weight. T’challa followed behind, ready to catch Bucky in case he fell. The Doctor hurried to the top of the stairs. He turned around and said, “You take the next two lefts to reach the infirmary.” He turned up the hall at the top. “Miss Carter? Miss Carter, are you still here?” he called.

Bucky felt Steve’s heartbeat pick up a little, but it may have just been from the exertion of climbing the stairs while carrying someone. When they reached the top of the steps, he and Steve stopped to rest for a moment, and then moved forward when T’challa approached behind them. They turned the first corner and heard the Doctor talking to someone. The other voice was female, and when they turned the second corner Bucky thought it sounded familiar. 

Steve carried Bucky into a room set up with a bed and various medical equipment. Waiting in there was the Doctor and a woman with blonde hair that he and Steve both recognized immediately.

Sharon Carter turned when she heard the two men enter the room. She saw Steve, and then she saw the bruises and cuts on his face. And then she saw Bucky with blood and who knew what else on his face and his metal arm ripped off and the stump covered in bloody bandages. 

“Let’s get him onto the bed,” said the Doctor, turning to take Bucky’s left side and walk him over. T’challa had entered the room, but he stopped and watched the other three helping Bucky.

“What happened?” Sharon asked, slowly lowering her hand from her open mouth. “Was it Zemo?”

“Indirectly,” said the Doctor as he helped Bucky to sit down. 

Sharon was wearing a pair of loose black pants and a collared white shirt, and her hair was pulled back in a clip. As the shock of the scene wore off, she went up to Bucky and looked over him.

“Get his jacket off,” Sharon commanded. She went to a cabinet off to one side and opened a drawer. She found a white sleeveless shirt inside and threw it across the room. It was the Doctor who caught it. Steve was helping Bucky to remove his jacket and the dirty white tank top underneath it. Bucky only wanted to lie down but he let Steve and the Doctor dress him. 

“Move your feet onto the bed,” said T’challa. “Let me help.” 

Bucky swung his feet onto the bed. T’challa removed his boots and his socks. Steve and the Doctor took off the pants, leaving the boxers on underneath. 

Sharon came over and took Bucky’s vitals, putting the blood pressure monitor on his good arm. “You look pale,” she said. “You’ve lost some blood, but not too much, thank goodness. And your temperature is a little low. Everything else is normal, for now.” 

Sharon was over at the sink, pouring a bowl of hot water and preparing clean towels. She brought these over on a rolling tray. “Can one of you get his face washed off? And get the blood off his arms and legs, too.”

“Yes,” said Steve, taking one of the white towels, his fingers almost touching Sharon’s though both of them hardly noticed. He dipped the towel in the hot water and started to bathe Bucky’s face as gently as possible. The Doctor propped up Bucky on the large white pillows. Sharon came over to Bucky’s left side with a rolling tray of medical instruments. She asked T’challa about what treatments he had already given Bucky, the pain injection and the bandage for the arm. The Doctor stood back as Sharon and T’challa removed the bandage.

“You did a good job on this,” said Sharon, inspecting the mess of metal and blood under the bandage. “Pretty rudimentary, and you didn’t cut evenly. But you got the worst bits of it.”

T’challa shrugged, managing a slight smile. “I did what I could.” 

“I thought you weren’t a real nurse,” said Steve as Sharon crossed the room again.

“I am a real nurse,” said Sharon. “Always have been. S.H.I.E.L.D. made me work full time at the hospital while I was spying on you so I could stay undercover. It was a nice break from spying, actually.”

Steve looked over at the Doctor. “And I thought you weren’t a medical doctor.”

“Not professionally, no,” said the Doctor. 

Sharon came over with a rolling IV stand and parked it on Bucky’s right. Steve backed away.

“Can you clean his arm off real fast?” she asked.

“Yes, of course,” said Steve, wiping down Bucky’s good arm. 

The Doctor handed T’challa the white top for Bucky. T-challa helped Bucky to put it on. When that was finished, Bucky eyed the IV pole. “What’s in that?” he asked, looking at the bag hanging from the top.

“Pretty much the same medication his highness gave to you, except it’ll be longer lasting. I know you haven’t had good experience with IV’s.”

“I’m not complaining,” said Bucky.

Steve had his good arm cleaned off. Sharon lifted it and bent it so she could find his veins. She then cleaned off an area close to his elbow and stuck the needle in. 

“How does the needle feel? Is it uncomfortable?”

“No, it’s fine,” said Bucky. It was uncomfortable having a metal needle sticking in his arm at all, but it didn’t hurt. As long as he was lying down and didn’t move that much, it wasn’t a huge problem.

Sharon turned on the IV machine. Bucky could feel the pain starting to ebb away. He took several deep breaths and started to relax.

“I have accommodations set up for the two of you,” the Doctor said to T’challa and Steve. “If you need me for anything, I will be downstairs.” The Doctor left the room, closing the door behind him. 

“Anything else we could do to make you more comfortable, my friend?” T’challa asked. He had found a chair and sat near the foot of Bucky’s bed.

“No, I’m fine,” said Bucky. “This is fine. I’ll be safe here, won’t I?”

“Yes, you will be,” said Sharon. She came over to Bucky’s left side to finish working on the bloody stump. 

“Where did the Doctor find you?” asked Steve, who had pulled up a chair on Bucky’s right side.

“I went back to England after I left you guys,” said Sharon. “Took the train with an assumed name. I was hiding out with my relatives when the Doctor found me. Said he needed my help with a medical emergency.”

“Did he tell you it was us?”

“No,” said Sharon, shaking her head. “I had a suspicion, though. I’ve only been here for a half an hour TARDIS time, mostly getting set up. I didn’t know what to expect, really.” She had trimmed the metal shards on Bucky’s prosthetic shoulder so it was even. 

Steve didn’t really know what else to say. T’challa leaned his head into his hands, exhausted and disappointed. Bucky was trying to relax, but Sharon kept pulling and twisting at the metal stump.

“That should be the last of it,” she said finally. 

“Are you done?” he asked her.

“For now,” said Sharon. She started applying a new bandage to his shoulder. “I don’t know what the Doctor intends to do with you. But he must have wanted you guys here for something--” she looked up at Steve briefly. Steve could only give her a blank look. Sharon resumed work on the bandage.

“Did the Doctor offer you any compensation?” asked Steve.

“No, he didn’t,” said Sharon. “He said when we were finished I’d have to return to the exact time and place where he picked me up. I should ask about that. Good idea, Steve.”

“It was good of you, though, to accept his request for help,” T’challa spoke up. 

“I guess,” Sharon sighed. She secured Bucky’s new bandage and then moved the equipment tray away. She went to the sink and washed her hands and elbows thoroughly. She then took the equipment tray over to a machine on the other side of the room.

“What’s that thing?” Steve asked.

“That’s an equipment sterilizer,” said Sharon. “Most of the machines and medicine in here are contemporary to our time period, or at least similar to it. The Doctor showed me where everything was, briefly, before we went and got you guys.” Sharon placed the equipment within the sterilizer and pressed a button on the machine. It began to hum.

She then returned to the bedside. “Barnes, is there anything else I can do for you?” she asked Bucky.

“Can you take one of the pillows out?” he asked. “I think I’d like to sleep for a while.”

“Good idea,” said Sharon.

“You do that, buddy,” said Steve. He patted Bucky’s good shoulder briefly. Bucky gave him a nod. Sharon removed the top pillow gently and Bucky leaned back.

T’challa rose to his feet. “Rest well, my friend.” Sharon pulled the sheet up over Bucky. He and Steve and Sharon turned to leave the room just as the Doctor came back.

“Are we finished in here?” the Doctor asked the three of them.

“Yes, he’s going to be fine,” said Sharon. “He’s going to be taking a nap now.”

“All right. I will show the two of you to your quarters downstairs,” said the Doctor. “Mr. Barnes, are you going to be resting for a while?”

“Yes, sir,” said Bucky, as loudly as he could answer.

“All right. If you need anything, there is a call button on the side of your bed that connects to the Control Room. And I’ll be coming in to check on you every once in a while.”

“You do that,” said Bucky. He yawned. 

The Doctor pressed a switch next to the door that turned down the lights partway. The other three went out and he closed the door behind them.

“Now, Rogers, Your Highness, I should have civilian clothes for the two of you downstairs, if you will just follow me.” The Doctor and Sharon led the way up the hall. T’challa followed them. But Steve lingered to cast one more glance at the door.


	2. Refuge

The Doctor led Steve and T’challa directly downstairs to a room filled with clothes. They each picked out an outfit and went to separate rooms to change. Steve came out wearing jeans and sneakers and a leather jacket over a white t-shirt, not much different from his usual wardrobe. T’challa was wearing a sweater and jeans. They both found the Doctor and Sharon in the TARDIS control room, but the Doctor looked up when they entered.

“You know, your highness, for the king of an isolated country you know how to pull off western clothing,” said the Doctor.

T’challa glared at him.

“May I show you to your room now?”

“Yes, Doctor, thank you,” said T’challa, striding across the room. The Doctor and the king left the control room. Steve remained by the door on the far side, hands in the pockets of his borrowed jacket. Sharon was standing by the control console, her arms folded. They uncomfortably made eye contact with one another and then looked away.

“Well?” said Sharon.

“Well...thank you, I guess, for helping us...for helping Bucky, I mean.” Steve shrugged.

“So he’s really your old friend from the forties?” 

“He is.”

“Does he remember you?”

“Well...sometimes. We haven’t really had a lot of time to talk. But I know he’s in there. He’s just…” Steve slowly walked towards Sharon. Sharon sat down casually on the control console, careful not to hit any of the buttons or instruments. 

“He’s not really the same guy you knew, is he?” said Sharon. “You’re still coming to grips with that.” She made room for Steve to sit next to her. “It’ll take time,” she told Steve quietly. “You both have a lot to work through.”

“I know,” said Steve, though he didn’t really have a good grasp on his and Bucky’s situation.

“I know how it feels,” said Sharon. “People change. Even without being tortured and brainwashed, they still change. There’s friends I’ve gone years without seeing, some of them I see again and they’re the same as always, others....they’re like complete strangers. You know, Steve, you never really wanted to go back to the past, did you?”

“No. I just accepted that I had to figure out the present.”

“But you just felt like you couldn’t control that present, could you?”

Steve looked at her. He knew she was right, but she looked at him like she didn’t blame him at all. 

Steve wasn’t sure what she wanted next. They had already kissed once, but he wasn’t sure if this was the moment to do that again. He looked away. 

“So what happened?” she asked him.

Steve took a breath and recounted what had happened when he and Bucky had landed in Siberia. Sharon wasn’t horrified by what she heard, but it was distressing for her to listen, Steve could tell. 

“So...you left the shield with Stark, then,” said Sharon. “Does that mean you’re not Captain America anymore?”

Steve sighed. “Do you think I want to be, after everything I’ve been through?”

“Well, I don’t blame you,” said Sharon. “But...Captain America, Steve. He’s the hero the world looks to. More than Iron Man. More than any of the rest. That’s a huge responsibility. Do you think it’s a good idea to leave those shoes empty?”

“I don’t know about that,” said Steve. “I do know that I don’t want other people using that position for their own ends. I don’t want the UN or the U.S. Government or Hydra or S.H.I.E.L.D. or anyone else calling the shots, telling me what I can or can’t do. If they want to protect the world, they’ll have to find somebody else to do it for them.”

“Did you actually read the Accords?”

“I tried to. Really. I understand where they were coming from, Sharon. But when you break it down, it’s really asking the Avengers to sit back and not do anything unless it’s a worse-case scenario. If something bad happened, we’d be useless unless the UN gave approval, which they wouldn’t. Nobody trusts the Avengers. And if they can’t trust us...why trust them?”

“Then why not just work with them to build trust?” asked Sharon. 

“Because the bad guys--people like Zemo. They’re not going to wait for the UN to say if we can go after them or not. They’re going to strike when they feel like it. It’s just not practical to wait for someone else’s approval.”

Sharon looked down at the floor, trying to digest what Steve was saying.

“So...if you’re not Captain America anymore, then what are you going to do?” 

“Do?”

“Yes. I mean, you’ve been a full-time superhero pretty much since you got off the ice. You’ve got to do something with yourself now.”

Steve shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe...maybe I’ll…”

“Maybe you’ll what?” Sharon stood up straight, looking at him.

Steve smirked. “I’ll think about it. It’ll depend on how Bucky does and what we can do to fix him.”

“You know, Bucky’s not the only person in your life.”

“Do you know how many times I’ve heard that?”

Sharon giggled quietly. “Well...if things don’t work out with him, or if he’s willing to tag along with you like in the old days, would you have time to...get to know me better, perhaps? I won’t make him a third wheel, I promise.”

“Well, gee, I dunno,” said Steve. He hadn’t figured on coming back from Siberia alive, or ever seeing Sharon again. “Well, it’s going to depend on what you want. I can’t ask you to rearrange your life for me. And plus, we’re both criminals now. You’ve got to look after yourself.”

Sharon nodded. She stepped closer to Steve. “Well, Steve, perhaps maybe when we both get things figured out...maybe when we’ve both found some kind of a life--after we’ve found ourselves--we could see if we can be together.” She placed a hand on his shoulder.

Steve looked at Sharon. She definitely liked him, and he liked her back. But she was right: they both had a lot to figure out. 

Her eyes were smaller than Peggy’s had been, but they were pretty on their own merits. And he liked Sharon for being Sharon: her unwavering loyalty and courage, her intelligence, the kindness she was showing to him now. She wasn’t as outspoken as her aunt was, either. Her fire burned within, steady and bright and always waiting for him. Steve would always treasure their relationship. If it didn’t work out between them, Steve was willing to let it go. But if it did--if there was a way for him and Sharon to be together in the future--then so much the better for both of them.

Steve quietly took Sharon’s hand. “So let’s figure out what happens next, then. Do you know what the Doctor wants with Bucky?”

“I have no idea,” said Sharon. He dropped her hand and they returned to leaning against the console.

“He said something about Arizona. I know he got sort of adopted by a nice family there.”

Sharon shrugged. “The Doctor hasn’t said anything to me about it.”

“Do you remember Agent Tanner? Hillary Tanner? She joined S.H.I.E.L.D. about the same time I did?”

“I do remember her.”

“Well--her family were the ones that adopted him.”

 

It didn’t take very long for the Doctor to show the king of Wakanda the accommodations for himself and Sharon and Steve. And T’challa said virtually nothing during the tour.

“I hope you like it,” the Doctor said when he had shown T’challa the bathroom he would be sharing with Steve.

“I thank you, Doctor, for your hospitality,” said T’challa, breaking his stony silence. “But might I ask, why are you doing this for us? And why are you interfering with my plans?”

“Your plans?” said the Doctor, skeptically.

“I am only trying to make amends for my mistake,” said T’challa. “I was deceived into thinking that the Captain’s friend--this Barnes--had killed my father. I sought revenge unjustly--I hunted him down like an animal. I did not realize what I had done wrong until it was almost too late.” The young king looked at the Doctor with nearly bursting eyes.

The Doctor blinked. He turned away and walked into a sitting room close by with his hand on his chin. T’challa followed him warily.

“And what, may I ask, Your Highness, were you planning to do with the Captain and his friend in order to make amends?”

“Do you not see, Doctor? It is only just!” said T’challa. “He was deceived and manipulated the way I was. He could not have known what that...horrible man intended. And that man only intended for him and for Stark and the Captain to die. No--I am a wiser man now.” T’challa shook his head. “How could I have been so foolish? So blinded by my grief and anger that I did not see the deception?” T’challa sank onto the couch, his head in his hands.

“There now, your highness,” said the Doctor, patting T’challa on the shoulder. “You should not be so hard on yourself.”

T’challa sat up. “No. I am not being hard on myself. My father would not have wanted that. My father’s life was taken from him unjustly--and so was Barnes’s. Do you see what I mean? Doctor, Wakanda has the most advanced medicine in the world. We are a scientific people. We could have the means to help Barnes--to save him from his inner demons. I am only trying to help him!”

“Exactly,” said the Doctor. “Which is why I cannot permit you to take Barnes just yet. Wakanda may be scientifically advanced. But science does not have all of the answers.”

T’challa rose to his feet slowly, glaring at the Doctor. “Are you saying that my people, the most technologically advanced society on the Earth, do not have the means to heal a broken man?”

“I am not saying that at all,” said the Doctor, gazing back at T’challa sternly. “With all due respect, your highness. I am not saying that you are wrong, in trying to make amends for your mistake. But I am saying that taking Barnes with you to Wakanda may not be the best for him.”

“And who are you, to decide what is the best for him?” said T’challa, a growl in his voice. “You, a madman with a magic box. And may I remind you, as you told me yourself a short while ago, you were banished from my country. Who are you to say what I--the king of Wakanda--what I and my people cannot do for someone I decide to help?”

“I am saying that in your desire to help, you may be once again shortsighted.”

“How DARE--” T’challa lunged forward, ready to shove the Doctor to the floor. The Doctor, however, grabbed T’challa by the shoulders and forced him back onto the couch.

“Your Highness, please, stop and listen for a moment,” said the Doctor. He leaned onto T’challa’s shoulders, keeping him firmly on the couch. “Now, it belongs to neither of us to decide Barnes’s fate for him--that belongs to him alone. But one can make choices only based on the options one has. If Barnes goes with you to Wakanda, his options may be limited in certain ways--ways that could prevent him from having a full and happy life.”

“A man like him, who has been through unimaginable horrors--can he have such a life?”

“I do not know,” said the Doctor. “But Bucky, as he is called, has a family that loves him in the States. They could help him. They have helped him before. And right now, Hydra is posing a grave danger to them. It would not be too much to ask, to give Barnes the opportunity to protect them in return.”

T’challa stared up at the Doctor, breathing heavily. 

“I know how you feel. I know that you are trying to help. And you will get the chance to help Barnes--I swear it. But haven’t you considered? Barnes has a life of his own, people who already love him and care about him. You would be doing them a great disservice to ignore them--and doing Bucky a great disservice if they did not have the chance to help him.”

“He would not have remembered them, if you had not come along. You are cheating me, Doctor.”

“I will give Barnes the chance to decide for himself, Your Highness. But you must extend to him the same courtesy.” The Doctor released T’challa’s shoulders and took a step back. “Now, is that understood?”

T’challa looked away from the Doctor for a few moments. 

“Am I required to remain on board this...vessel of yours...or if you will prevent me from giving Barnes the service I wish to give him, then am I allowed to leave?”

“You may leave, if you so desire,” said the Doctor. “However, I would strongly encourage you to stay at least until Barnes begins to mend. And in the meantime, you may be able to render some other assistance to Steve Rogers.”

“What do you mean?” asked T’challa, his interest piqued.

“If you will follow me to the control room, Your Highness.” The Doctor left the sitting room, and T’challa followed behind him quickly.

 

Sharon and Steve both stood up straight as the Doctor and T’challa entered. But the Doctor continued walking. “If you two would follow us, please.”

Steve and Sharon looked at each other, and then at T’challa. None of them had a clue what the Doctor was up to. He led them up a set of stairs on the opposite side of the control room, and on entering a short hall he opened a door to the right and showed them in. It was a meeting room with red walls and a long table set with chairs. 

“Have a seat towards the end--the end chair is mine,” said the Doctor. All of the chairs were leather, but the chair at the far end of the table from the door had a high back. T’challa took the seat on the right of the high chair. Sharon and Steve took the two seats on the left.

“I appreciate your patience with me,” said the Doctor as he sat in the head seat. “Now that Barnes is in stable condition, we can discuss other matters.”

“What other matters?” asked T’challa.

“You said to Bucky that Hydra returned to Arizona?” said Steve.

“Yes--I had to be rather hasty then, but I can give you more details now, Steven. Thanks to the Avengers, Hydra’s planned Resurgence had to be scaled back. However, those who managed to escape the Avengers or S.H.I.E.L.D. have retreated to two locations, namely their secret base in Sonora, Mexico, and to Arizona. Arizona is now the springboard for Hydra’s Resurgence.”

“What do you mean, Resurgence?” asked Sharon.

“The Resurgence--the name of their initiative after Strucker’s fall to rebuild Hydra in secret and set out from there to conquer the world. Arizona in particular is important to them, because the desert southwest of the United States is home to several sources of eurekaite. They will also be scavenging for weapons-grade radioactive minerals and other resources with which--you get the picture.”

“I get it,” said Steve soberly. “So Rumlow wasn’t the Resurgence, he was a red herring. A decoy.”

“And Zemo wasn’t working with them at all,” said Sharon. 

“So you want Barnes to stop this Resurgence?” said T’challa.

“Yes--well, not me. I am acting on behalf of several other interested parties. And Director Coulson said he could use the help,” said the Doctor.

“Coulson sent you, then?” asked Steve.

“He said I could bring him assistance, yes,” the Doctor nodded.

“What kind of help does he need?” asked Sharon.

“Who does he have?”

“Captain, about two weeks from the moment when I came for you and Barnes, Arizona’s S.H.I.E.L.D. team launched an extra-legal assault on one of Hydra’s hideouts in the Phoenix area. They--”

“Wait, has this already happened or is it going to happen?” Steve asked.

“It has already happened, but in the future,” the Doctor said. “But to continue, in the attack S.H.I.E.L.D. was assisted by fifty of the SWAT team and a group of the local police. Casualties were two in five.”

Steve looked sick.

“Against how many?” inquired Sharon.

“Nearly sixty. Other Hydra personnel are hiding elsewhere in the state--with who knows how many in Mexico. Their forces were supplemented by a double prison break the weekend before.”

“Did anyone on the S.H.I.E.L.D. team die?” Steve asked. “In the attack, I mean.”

“Their director, Agent Parsons.”

“What about Agent Tanner? Was she with them?”

“Yes. Hillary and Coulson were in town with Agent Sorensen at the time. Hydra also threatened to kill Hillary’s family--specifically for harboring their former Asset.”

“So, now’s not exactly a good time for him to go back, is it?” 

“With this first base in Phoenix down, it will be safe enough for him to return. Hydra is scattering elsewhere.”

“So, the jist of it is,” Sharon restated, “Hydra is gone from Phoenix for now, but they’re after other resources in Arizona, and you need Bucky to fight them?”

“Well, I didn’t say he had to do it alone,” the Doctor said, “but--”

“Excuse me, I cannot get this straight,” T’challa spoke up. “You said earlier that this battle with Hydra, it is two weeks from when you picked up the Captain and myself. So it is in the future?” 

“Er, yes.”

“I seem to recall one of your previous incarnations used the phrase ‘wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff’,” said Sharon.

“That he did.”

“Well, if it hasn’t happened yet, can we go in there and stop Hydra now?” said Steve. “Can we prevent all those people from dying?”

“Steven, allow me to introduce you to the phrase, ‘a fixed point in time’,” said the Doctor. “There are several of those I am having to work around in order to help you and Bucky out. I am a time traveller, not a fortune-teller. There are certain events I cannot change. Time is not a line, it is a landscape. This time-machine, you humans put it crudely, is a ship for navigating between landmarks. Next you will be asking me to take you and Bucky back in time to before anything bad ever happened to either of you. I cannot make either of you who you were before. I can only take you as you are. As much as I regret to say it, S.H.I.E.L.D.’s devastating battle with Hydra is a fixed point in time. We cannot reverse those events. Or those losses. We can, however, affect the aftermath. What Director Coulson needs is someone on the ground in Arizona, to fight the battles that his S.H.I.E.L.D. team cannot. The SWAT team and local law enforcement have already suffered heavy losses. He does not dare ask them for help again. He needs people who can fight without being mowed down. People who can take a hit without falling.”

“You want the Avengers,” said Steve.

“Yes. Not just Mr. Barnes. You and as many of your friends that would be interested in helping.”

Steve stroked his chin. “Well...you forget, Doctor, that the Sokovia Accords are in effect now. S.H.I.E.L.D. is no longer permitted to employ superhumans. And plus anyone who violates the Accords gets prosecuted to the full extent of the law--and I’m not quite sure what that is.” He looked at Sharon. 

Sharon sighed. “Your friends who helped you escape in Leipzig are in special confinement. A prison that Secretary Ross ordered specially built for superhumans. It’s called the Raft. It’d be a tall order breaking anyone out of there.”

“Stands to reason,” said Steve. 

“Director Coulson is willing to overlook the legal issues of having the Avengers assist in Arizona,” said the Doctor. “But you and Barnes cannot do this alone.”

Steve looked at T’challa.

“I want no part in this,” said T’challa. “I wish to return to my own country.”

“Fair enough,” said Steve. “So that leaves the guys in the prison.”

“Of course,” said the Doctor. “We need to give as many people as would be able to help the option to go with you.”

“But the UN would have taken away all of their gear and tech, from those who had it,” said Sharon.

“And the ones who didn’t?” Steve asked her. “Wanda Maximoff?”

“I haven’t heard,” said Sharon.

Steve reclined in his seat. “So it’s Wanda, Clint, Wilson, and Lang. How do we get them out?”

“That is where I was hoping Miss Carter would be of assistance,” said the Doctor, his face lighting up with a smile, “and, if he was willing, His Royal Highness.”

Steve exchanged glances with both Sharon and T’challa. T’challa’s face was blank, but Sharon gave Steve a nod. “All right, then. Sharon, tell us about this prison.”

“The Raft is a fortress that sort of floats in the middle of the Norwegian Sea,” said Sharon. “It is able to submerge completely for periods at a time. It was built by NATO under Secretary Ross’s supervision as secure confinement for rogue superhumans. It is protected partly by an energy field that makes it incapable of tracing with satellites. Only aircraft with UN clearance can land there. And of course the inside is heavily guarded and armed.”

“Doesn’t sound too bad,” said Steve. “Do you know what kind of condition the prisoners are in?”

“I think they’re allowed cells about half the size of this room, or maybe smaller. Bunks. Toilets. Meals served securely twice a day. I’m sorry I don’t have more specifics.”

“We’ll play it by ear.”

“So obviously breaking in from the outside would be impossible as well as suicidal,” said T’challa. “Doctor, can your craft land on the inside?”

The Doctor shrugged. “ ‘Fraid I can’t.”

“So then how do you get clearance to fly to the Raft?” asked Steve.

“At the moment, you need to be either a top-ranking military official with interest in fighting superhumans, or in Ross’s good graces,” said Sharon.

“Any ways in which I qualify, Miss Carter?” asked T’challa.

“No, after your actions in Bucharest and Leipzig Ross is not at all inclined to trust you,” said Sharon. “You can’t just be chasing down the Winter Soldier for personal reasons: you have to do it on their terms.”

“I see.”

“Getting in with a clearance should be the easy part,” said Steve. “But getting out would be the problem. As soon as the prisoners are freed, the emergency protocols would be set in motion, and the prison would go on lockdown. We’d have to do it from the outside and somehow bypass the security. Sharon, is there any way you can find out more about how this prison was built, how the security was structured?”

“I wasn’t exactly privileged with information about the Raft, Steve,” said Sharon, “but I know how to find out. Got a computer, Doctor?”

“I have one of the most powerful computers in the universe right here on the TARDIS,” said the Doctor. “And it can hack into anything.”

“That might not even be necessary. I know people who could hack it for us--people who are off of Ross’s radar. I’d need a phone, though.”

“You can make as many calls as you like through the computer.”

Sharon nodded, but sat still for a moment to think.

“Sharon, I know this is a lot to ask of you,” Steve began.

“It’s not, really,” said Sharon. 

“Well, are you sure you don’t have anything left to lose?”

Sharon thought for a second. Then she said, “The nice thing about being a secret agent is you can always start from the ground up. Besides, if we’re on the TARDIS, I don’t think anyone can find us.”

The Doctor sat back. “Then, if you two gentlemen would excuse us for a moment, I will help Miss Carter to get started and be right back.

Sharon and the Doctor left the meeting room with the door open. Steve and T’challa waited in silence, Steve drumming his fingers on the table. Before ten minutes had gone by, the Doctor returned and announced that he would like to show Steve to his room for his stay on the TARDIS. T’challa remained behind. They passed Sharon typing furiously on a keyboard for a computer monitor in the control room.

The Doctor took Steve down a hall that led off the sitting room to a guest room that was fixed with a bunk bed, presumably to be occupied by one of his other friends when they arrived. 

“This is the room where your friend Mr. Barnes stayed, when he came on the TARDIS a year and a half ago.”

“Oh really?” said Steve. 

“Mm-hm. The room just down the hall, where Sharon will be staying--that is where Sara Martin slept.”

“You don’t say. And the other guest rooms?”

“I don’t often have more than one or two guests at a time. This is going to be quite a house party.” 

The Doctor also showed Steve the guest bathroom he had set up. Steve had not been on the TARDIS before, and he did a good deal of looking around at the place.

“So where will Bucky be staying?” Steve asked at one point. 

“For the time being, the infirmary. When his...when he is better, he can have his own room. He likes to have his space--or haven’t you noticed?”

“I have,” said Steve, “but--”

“Are you hungry, Steven?” asked the Doctor. “I will be getting dinner ready shortly.”

“Yeah I’m a bit hungry,” said Steve. “But--”

“Any specific requests?”

“Uh, not really.” Steve didn’t care what kind of food it was, as long as he ate something.

Steve went back to his room to wait for dinner, deciding to take a short nap. The Doctor went to check on Sharon and then he fixed some food for his guests: just TV trays of breaded chicken and sticky macaroni that the Doctor had found at a grocery story on a recent trip to America. T’challa hardly touched his. The Doctor went to the control room while the three of them ate in the sitting room around a card table. Steve attempted to make conversation with Sharon and T’challa, but neither of them were feeling talkative. Steve didn’t know whether he wanted to brood in his own silence or try to break it. Steve and T’challa both went to bed right after dinner.


	3. Recovery

After dinner, Sharon went upstairs to the infirmary to check on Bucky. The Doctor had cooked an extra TV tray for him in case he was hungry. Sharon had expected to find him still asleep. He appeared to be dozing when she entered and set the TV tray on a cart. But when she was changing the bag for his IV fluid, he stirred and opened his eyes.

“Well, look who’s awake,” she said, smiling a little.

Bucky looked around warily at the rest of the room. “I’m still in the TARDIS, right?”

“Yes, you are,” said Sharon. “We haven’t moved you.”

“Good.” He gave a quiet huff of relief. Then he looked back up at her. “You’re that girl that Steve likes, aren’t you?”

Sharon looked at Bucky. “The one he likes currently or the one he liked back in the day?”

“Currently. I saw you two kiss the other day.”

“Yes--well--”

“Didn’t I try to kill you once?”

Sharon’s face fell. He was expecting her to answer. “Well...yes, sort of,” said Sharon. “I was one of the people you fought, when Zemo triggered your--”

“Okay. I remember now.”

“You don’t need to apologize. You weren’t yourself. I’ve brought you some food, by the way,” she said, sliding the cart with the TV tray over the bed. “Will you be able to eat that with one hand?”

“Yeah. I just eat the chicken by hand. It’s not a big deal,” he said. He didn’t look too excited by the food, though Sharon guessed he was probably hungry. Bucky looked up at her.

“Did Steve tell you about me?”

“No. We haven’t really seen each other that much.”

“But you know about me, though.”

“I do. You’ve been all over the news lately. And of course, your identity isn’t much of a secret.”

“Who am I, then?”

Sharon paused thoughtfully. “Steve’s old friend from the forties, who got captured by Hydra and used as a weapon against his will. Simply someone who’s had a very hard life.”  
He looked away from her. Sharon wanted to tell Bucky that she hadn’t passed judgment on him, but there wasn’t an easy way to say it. And she didn’t think he wanted to hear more from her.

“I can bring you a napkin,” she said.

“Thanks.”

She went across the room and grabbed some paper towels from the sink. She gave them to him and said, “If you need anything, there’s a call button by your bed. The Doctor and I are downstairs.” She left the room.

 

‘Simply someone who’s had a very hard life.’ It was the answer he was expecting but still not what he wanted to hear, he thought while he ate his chicken. Eating with one hand wasn’t difficult, just not ideal. He got the crumbs all over his shirt and had to stop between bites to clean off his face and chest. 

He was kind of mad at himself, actually. He should have avoided using his metal arm more, when he’d been on the run. He would have been used to this sort of thing. But then again people would have asked questions. It was more important to avoid people who asked questions, he’d found.

The macaroni was far from the best he’d ever had, but it was edible. When he finished the meal, he pushed the tray back, debating whether or not to call up the Doctor or Sharon again to ask for a drink of water. He wondered if he could go to the sink and get it himself, but operating the sink with one hand might take some effort. He was still tired and in a lot of pain from the long flight and the fight afterward. Before he could reflect on that too much, there was a knock on the door. He didn’t say whether or not the person could come in. 

It was the Doctor. “Ah, Mr. Barnes, good to see you’re still awake. How was the dinner?”

“It was all right,” said Bucky. 

“Do you mind if I step in for a moment?”

Of course Bucky did mind, but the Doctor let himself in before Bucky could say no. 

“Is there anything I can get you?”

“Glass of water, I guess.”

“Very well.” The Doctor went across to the sink and got a plastic cup from the cupboard. “I’m pretty sure the water’s drinkable,” he said after pouring the water, examining the glass. “I’m not sure you should drink from the same water you wash your wounds with, but I guess if it’s good enough for one, it works for the other.”

Bucky raised an eyebrow, faintly amused. “I thought you were a doctor.”

“I’m not that kind of doctor, son,” said the Doctor, bringing Bucky the glass of water. 

Bucky drank. “Thank you.”

“Now, while I’m here, I suppose--”

“I’d actually rather go back to sleep right now,” said Bucky, handing the cup back to the Doctor. “I’m not really in the mood for company.”

“All right, then. There’s a small lavatory through the door on the right, if you feel up to it. You’ll have to take your IV with you, sadly.” The Doctor chuckled. “And of course, if you need anything--”

“I can just press the call button, right, you told me,” said Bucky, leaning back on the pillow.

“All right, then. Have a good rest. I’ll see to it no one bothers you for a while.” The Doctor turned to leave the room.

Bucky leaned back on the pillow, drained from the effort of socializing. The Doctor left the infirmary, and Bucky sulked by himself for a few minutes before falling asleep.

 

When a day’s time had passed within the TARDIS, Sharon, dissatisfied with the microwave oatmeal they were served for breakfast, wanted to go to civilization somewhere to buy some real food. There was a little kitchenette in the TARDIS, so she said there was no reason they shouldn’t cook some decent meals for themselves. So the Doctor took them to a town in Scotland, small enough to be away from prying eyes but big enough to have the major grocery stores. Sharon took Steve with her to town. T’challa used the TARDIS computer to send some messages to his associates in Wakanda. 

The Doctor, meanwhile, went upstairs to speak with Bucky. He told Bucky about the Hydra situation in Arizona. Hillary and her family were in no immediate danger, the Doctor said, but Arizona’s S.H.I.E.L.D. team couldn’t take on the Resurgence on their own. Bucky said he would consider the Doctor’s offer.

Sharon and Steve came back with fish and vegetables and set out to make a small Sunday dinner for their friends. The Doctor was sure to invite Bucky to come down and eat, but he declined, saying he was tired.

After dinner, Sharon went back to work on the computer, with the Doctor and T’challa assisting her. Steve went upstairs to the infirmary. He had to collect himself before knocking on the door. No one answered. 

He opened the door quietly. Bucky was lying down, resting. His dinner tray was pushed off to one side, the fish half-eaten and the salad not even touched. 

Steve didn’t have anything better to do. He took a chair and pulled it up next to the bed and watched. Bucky appeared to be relaxed, but his breathing wasn’t regular, and he was fidgeting quite a bit. 

“Very funny, Bucky,” said Steve.

Bucky groaned and turned his head away from Steve.

Steve watched Bucky for a few minutes. All the advice he’d heard from his friends over the past two years was to wait for Bucky to come back to him on his own. It didn’t hurt to watch him right now, did it, while he waited? 

Steve smirked as he remembered when he’d first met Phil Coulson. Who’s the creeper now? he thought to himself.

“Come on, Bucky, when are you going to wake up and talk to me? You can’t ignore me forever.”

Bucky stirred and yawned, covering his mouth with his good hand. Then he looked up at Steve. “When are you going to stop butting into other people’s business?”

“You know I mean well.”

“Sure,” said Bucky, scratching his neck and yawning again.

“How are you feeling?”

“Well, whatever stuff is in this IV is helping, I guess,” said Bucky, glancing over his shoulder at the IV stand. “Pain in the butt, though. Honestly, I never thought that getting that...thing ripped off me would hurt so much.”

“Well, and then the rest of you hurts on top of that.”

“True.” Bucky fell silent.

Steve wished Bucky wouldn’t stop. They had had a good conversation going for about fifteen seconds. 

“So did the Doctor tell you--”

“About Hydra being in Arizona? Yeah. Sucks.”

“What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking...I’d just like to think about it a little more. I’m...not ready to go back outside yet. Even with the metal arm gone, they’ll know it’s me.”

“There’s not really much good you can do with one arm, though. Are you gonna get a new one?”

“I don’t know yet,” said Bucky. “It’s kind of a relief, actually…” Bucky made eye contact with Steve. “Did you hear from Hillary at all, before this happened?”

“Yes, we’ve kept in touch,” said Steve. 

“I heard you were kind of...mad at her about me.”

Steve shrugged. “We’ve worked through it. It’s not a big deal.”

“It is a big deal, Steve. To you and to her.”

“Well...anyway, before we got a hold of her from Germany, I’d last talked to her right when the Accords came out. The Accords imposed limitations on S.H.I.E.L.D. too, by the way. It’s illegal for them to work with superhumans, or to fight Hydra on their own.”

“So if we do go to Arizona to help out, we’d still be breaking the law. Great.”

“Bucky, Coulson said it would be all right. He doesn’t care.”

“Let’s not talk about that right now,” said Bucky. “You’ve kept in touch with Hillary? More than the occasional phone call or Skype? She said she was friends with you.”

“Well, she’s been living on the east coast, working at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters with Coulson. S.H.I.E.L.D.’s actually been a huge help with the new Avengers, after Sokovia. She’s been up to visit our new base several times. And I even went to Arizona, right before last Christmas.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah. The local S.H.I.E.L.D. team wanted expert training on how to beat Hydra. And after that they had a Christmas party--at Hillary’s house.” Steve smiled wistfully. “They sure miss you, you know--the Tanners. Hillary’s dad can’t say enough good about you. And Hillary’s mom keeps hoping you’ll go back.”

“Right. And what about Hillary?”

“I’d have thought it was obvious, Buck. She misses you a ton. I finally saw her in person, about a month after the Free Range Party incident in Denver. She said S.H.I.E.L.D. only wanted to keep tabs on you, but I think a part of her hated the fact that you’d left.”

“Well, how is she doing, apart from missing me?”

“She’s doing pretty good. She’s been dating Mark Lawson for the last year--she told me you crashed their first date.”

Bucky gave a small smile. “Yeah, I did.”

“Well, Hillary and Mark are getting pretty serious, I think.”

“Serious?”

“I mean they’re talking about getting married.”

“Oh. Cool. And what’s the rest of her family been up to?”

“Ha, I don’t know, I don’t keep track of them. I do know her sister had a baby a few months ago.”

“Her sister Julia?”

“Yeah. A little girl. They named her Kate. I’ve seen the pictures on Facebook. She’s adorable.”

“That’s wonderful.” Bucky was giving another one of his quiet smiles. 

Thank goodness for Hillary, or else Bucky wouldn’t want to talk to me, Steve thought to himself.

“By the way, I did talk with Sara Martin a few months ago.”

“Oh--you did?” Bucky looked up at Steve, the name mentioned generating a look of recognition.

“Yes. She didn’t give me a lot of the details. I was hoping you would tell me about it.”

“Well--what is there to tell?” Bucky asked, shrugging his good shoulder. “Basically we visited the worlds of a lot of kids’ movies. They’re ones you’ve seen, right?”

“I know. Sara told me which ones. So did any of it help?”

Bucky sighed. “Darn. I dunno, Steve. It felt like it did, at the time. I was able to see...a few of my memories, clearly. Whatever it was, though, it didn’t do much. It wasn’t supposed to, really--the Doctor said it was only going to be a start.”

“And was it?”

Bucky paused for a moment. “You tell me.”

“Well, it seems like you’re remembering more lately,” said Steve.

“Yes, well...I’ve been working on that. The couple months I spent in Romania, I was jotting down whatever I could remember about my past...some of it was good.” Bucky broke off, staring into space a little. “Well, anyway, the stupid CIA took my notebooks. Maybe you could ask your girlfriend if I could have them back.”

Steve snorted. “She’s not my girlfriend.”

“Well, whatever she is, don’t let this one get away.”

It sounded like Bucky was done talking to Steve for now. It seemed like he could open up to Steve, about a few things,if prodded gently. There was so much that Steve wanted to ask him about. Steve even wondered if now would be the right time to ask Bucky about his own girlfriend, Grace. But Bucky looked like he was on the point of saying that he wanted Steve to leave. So Steve decided to save him the trouble.

“Well, get some rest, buddy,” said Steve, patting Bucky gently on his bandaged left shoulder. He got up and left. Bucky watched him leave, but Steve closed the door to the infirmary without looking backwards.

 

Downstairs in the control room, Sharon was talking into a microphone while typing on the computer. The Doctor was checking the instruments on his control panel while T’challa paced.

“Mm-hm, yes...okay,” Sharon muttered. “Right. That should do it. Thanks again for helping out. I really owe you one.” She paused to listen to a reply--it was some kind of a phone call. “All right. I’ll do that. Talk to you later.” Sharon clicked something on the screen and then removed the headphones from her ears.

“What was that?” asked Steve, walking up to Sharon.

“I was just calling up a friend. Trying to see if they knew anything about the Raft.”

“What friend?”

“The less you know, Steve, the better.” Sharon leaned over to Steve and kissed his cheek.

“So what have you found out?” asked the Doctor, coming around the control panel. T’challa looked up from his pacing. 

“Anything more on that emergency door?” Steve asked. Sharon had told them over breakfast this morning that she had been able to find the plans for the Raft and discovered there was an emergency door.

“So since dinner,” said Sharon, “my contact--who prefers to remain anonymous--and I have put together the outlines of a plan. We know how to get to the prison level from the emergency exit. My contact has agreed to find a way to hack into the computer system of the Raft to remotely deactivate the security protocols. They can do it in such a manner that the security on board won’t be able to tell it’s offline.” 

“Okay, cool,” Steve nodded. “So how do we get there?” He looked at T’challa.

“My father asked Wakandian security to fly an extra jet with me wherever I go,” said T’challa. “The extra jet is still parked in Berlin.”

“Thanks,” said Steve, “but I’m pretty sure the emergency exit is underwater--isn’t that right?” he checked with Sharon. Sharon nodded.

“Wakandian jets can be converted into submersibles,” said T’challa. “We can pull up right next to the emergency exit and dock.”

“They won’t be expecting an underwater attack,” said Sharon. “Even when they’ve prepped for it.” She grinned. “This is going to be fun.”

“We can park the TARDIS on the Shetland Islands--should be a reasonable distance from the Raft,” said the Doctor.

“So can you take me there, Your Highness?” asked Steve.

“Of course, I would be most willing, my friend,” said T’challa, giving Steve a hint of a smile. “But are you sure this is a good idea, Captain, releasing your friends from their lawful imprisonment? Because the world thinks they need to accept the consequences of their actions.”

“With all due respect, Your Highness,” the Doctor spoke up, “the consequences of the Avengers not being able to protect the world would be far worse.”

“Yet some would argue that it is because of the Avengers that the world has become unsafe,” said T’challa. 

“Yes, but putting the politics of the matter to one side momentarily,” Sharon inserted, “you said that you’d be willing to help Barnes to make up for wanting to kill him. It was my understanding that that included helping Steve out.”

T’challa sighed. “My quarrel is not with your friends in the prison, Captain. If you wish to help them, then I am at your service.”

“Excellent,” said the Doctor. “So I will take you to Berlin. Sharon, do you mind helping me with mission controls?”

“Not at all.”

“Good. So Sharon and I will stay on the TARDIS. Rogers and his Highness will take the king’s jet to the Raft.”

“My contact is sending me their coordinates,” said Sharon. 

“You will want to submerge a safe distance away from the raft,” said the Doctor.

“Of course Wakandan vessels are invisible to satellite,” said T’challa. “It should not be a concern.”

“You should still take precautions.”

“Very well.”

Sharon pulled up the plans for the Raft on the computer, and the three men gathered around to look at them and plan the attack. It was decided that Steve would enter alone, subdue the guards, and then with Sharon’s remote direction release the prisoners. The hard part would be getting upstairs to the prison level from the emergency exit, which was built near the very base of the floating fortress.

“The emergency exit was built so that in the event of an emergency the prisoners would be left behind. The Raft would submerge and then let the water in,” Sharon pointed out grimly.

“I do not doubt that Ross would have found an excuse for your friends’ execution,” said T’challa.

“Did Ross write the Accords just so he could have an excuse to use the Raft?” Steve wondered aloud.

“I wouldn’t put it past him,” said the Doctor. “I’ve never put anything past Ross. My last two regenerations he gave me a lot of trouble. But he’s quite fun to bother, in return. I can’t wait to see you put a bee in his bonnet. You know, I haven’t participated in a sabotage this huge in ages. This is going to be very exciting!” He stepped away from the others to do a double fist-pump.

“Doc, calm down,” said Steve. “If you want, you could come with us. I’m sure that sonic screw thing would be a lot of help.”

“Oh, I’d love to tag along,” said the Doctor eagerly. “But you should take it as a vote of confidence that I do not believe you’ll need the help.”

“I can’t wait, either,” said Sharon. “They’ll have no idea what hit them.”

The Doctor served them refreshments in the sitting room before they went to bed. When Steve and T’challa left the TARDIS in Berlin the next morning, it would be the start of the second week after their return from Siberia--and it was going to be a big day.

Bucky was still asleep when they left the next morning. Steve went to the infirmary to check on him briefly. And then he was ready to go.


	4. The Raft

Steve didn’t get the chance to introduce Bucky to Clint and Wanda and Scott when they met in Leipzig. It was understandable--Bucky was not feeling up to socializing, even with the people he was going to be fighting with.

Wanda already knew what Bucky meant to Steve. After everything that Steve had done for her, she would have been a fool to treat that lightly.

Before the airport battle, she had made eye contact with Bucky once or twice, but in between Bucky running off to pull a jacket from a nearby dumpster and Wanda changing into the suit that Barton had got for her before they’d left the States, she hadn’t had the chance to introduce herself to him. They got into position to try and steal the helicopter and then the quinjet at the airport, and Wanda went off with Barton. She did save Bucky once, when the Black Panther was attacking him. She did help Steve and Bucky get into the hangar by catching the falling tower that Vision had knocked over. But that was all. Steve and Bucky had flown off in the quinjet, and then Vision had accidentally injured Rhodes.

The issue with Bucky had really been a small part of Wanda’s ordeal over the last few weeks. It had really started for her back in Lagos. It was the world’s outcry in response to the accidental deaths that had resulted from the use of her powers, when she’d attacked Rumlow, that had led to the Accords. 

And then she had made everything worse, for herself and her friends. Tony Stark had only been trying to protect them all by siding with the government. He’d only been trying to protect her by confining her to the Avengers’ base. He had told her that much in Leipzig, after she’d dropped about ten cars on top of him. And she hadn’t been able to forget since being locked in here--in this horrible place.

After their arrest, the rebel Avengers had been taken to the CIA building and their effects removed. Two female security guards had stripped her naked. A third had stood behind them with a pistol to Wanda’s head. Then they put her in the straightjacket. On top of that went the shock collar. They treated her like an animal--but was she any better than an animal, if she could not control her powers? If she couldn’t keep herself from accidentally killing people? And then from running around causing mayhem like a criminal? Was that all she was in the first place, a criminal, in spite of having spent the last year working for the Avengers to protect the world?

Is this what Stark had been trying to protect her from? From the critics? Or from herself?

These powers--if she and Pietro had never volunteered for Strucker--if she had never wanted revenge on the Avengers for killing her parents--then none of this would have happened. Stark had been acting on his fear--a fear that she had wakened in him in Sokovia. Everything was her fault.

Vision had been trying all along to warn her that control was the key to success, that going out and being a hero was the least likely way to get the acceptance she wanted so badly. Now she was learning the hard way.

Would Vision like seeing her here, wrapped up like this?

Vision had only been trying to protect her. She had known that. He had meant well. But wanting to help Steve stop Zemo, wanting to do her part for Steve’s team, thinking that was more important than any government telling the Avengers what to do--she had hurt Vision and, in the end, hurt herself as well. Vision was her dear friend and she’d hated blasting him through the floor. Maybe after what she’d done, Vision would probably think the imprisonment was fair, and he’d be right.

Maybe the press was right and those deaths in Lagos weren’t really that accidental, even if she hadn’t meant to hurt anyone. If she had taken responsibility for that, she wouldn’t be in this mess. And if she hadn’t run away with Barton they wouldn’t all be in this prison. If, if, IF--the word brushed against the inside of Wanda’s tired brain, wanting to get out.   
She was sore and tight from being confined in the straightjacket. There was a crick in her neck from holding up her head away from the shock collar. A few hours of confinement, and Ross had made his point--why hadn’t they let her out? She had lost track of time. The lights in the main room outside the cell would go dim at night but not completely dark, and after a few days Wanda couldn’t tell the difference anymore.

In three of the other cells were the other superheroes that Ross had arrested. They spent most of their time lying down on their cots, staring up at the ceiling. When Clint Barton got up, he’d stretch his arms and his legs, sort of brushing them off the sides of his cell, wanting to go further. Scott Lang would sit on his cot. He made the most frequent attempts at conversation between the four of them, but nobody else really felt like talking. Sam Wilson would pace inside of his cell with his arms behind his back, pace and pace and pace and sometimes it was all Wanda could do to keep herself from watching his pacing. Their meals of military rations would be brought twice a day, and Wanda would be allowed partially out of the straightjacket and collar to use the lavatory in her cell and to eat--with someone pointing a gun at her the entire time. She tried telling the guards how hungry and thirsty she was but they wouldn’t listen. She was expected to sleep sitting up, and she couldn’t: the best she could manage was to doze off leaning against the wall for about half an hour at a time with a dull headache.

All four of them wondered at some point or another what had happened to Steve and Bucky. To Barton and Lang it was little more than an occasional thought. To Sam, the worry was substantial. Wanda could read in his mind the truth--when Stark had come to visit a few days ago, Sam had told him where they had gone. Stark had confessed to Sam that he’d been misinformed about Bucky and he wanted to help Steve. Part of Wanda didn’t trust Stark’s intentions. Another part of her just didn’t know. Wanda just spent hours on end puzzling over everything she knew about the case--Zemo framing Bucky and then triggering his Winter Soldier programming; Ross and the Accords; the Black Panther and the sudden interest of Wakanda in world affairs; Tony Stark and what he was really trying to do by siding with Ross. How was it connected? How did it make sense? It was just one little thing leading to another.

Every time she remembered Stark’s visit, she couldn’t help but recalling Tony’s jibe at Clint that he’d left behind his wife and children. Clint had reassured Wanda that they were fine. But how long would it be before Laura discovered the truth? Would the Bartons really be safe on their little farm, that Clint had kept a secret for so long? And what would the repercussions be, if Clint ever made it back to them? Sometimes she envied Clint for having someone to go home to. Then she remembered that Clint had brought her into the family as well. Laura was going to be mad at her, too. And the confidence of the little Bartons in their father and aunties? All but gone.

It was like the others pacing around their cells weren’t even there. The prison was just an empty, quiet room where she had only her dark thoughts for company.

Where was Natasha? Stark hadn’t mentioned her. The guards in the Raft whispered that she was missing--that she was wanted for helping Steve and Bucky to escape. There was a cell waiting for her, they said, if they ever caught wind of the Black Widow. Knowing Natasha, Wanda guessed that she would have gone undercover somewhere until the worst of the fallout had passed. 

If Ross knew what had become of Captain America in Siberia, he probably would have come over to gloat in front of them. Even if he knew only part of the truth, he would make up some story to say that Steve was dead, or arrested, or that something else terrible had happened to him. Just to provoke them the way Stark had. Well, Stark was just bitter, but he did mean well some of the time. Ross was just sheer spite--and he brought that side out in Stark.

It’s better this way, she told herself. Better to be alone where you can’t hurt anyone. Better to be away from people--even the ones you love.

She didn’t know if she would ever get out--or if she wanted out.

She knew that if Steve had known what had happened to her and the others that he would have been upset. Maybe if he was dead, wherever he was now, he’d be watching over her, along with Pietro. That would have been better, almost, than if he were alive, and there was no way for him to get them out.

But with Steve, there’s always a way, Wanda thought. I thought you knew that. Suddenly remembering him filled her with warmth. It almost felt like he was somewhere close to her.

She wasn’t sure why she was suddenly thinking of Steve. The thought had come out of nowhere. But somewhere in this terrible place she felt something coming towards the prison level. And it was alive.

She sat up. Certainly, if Steve was alive--if Steve was here--he would do more than just comfort her. He would get her out of her bonds. He would get all of them out.

And that was what he had come to do.

Her ears detected a noise in the guardroom beyond the prison cells. Men groaning and fighting. She found herself sitting up. She looked across the cells at the other prisoners. Barton was laying on his cot, but he had suddenly become still. He was listening.

The automatic door slid open. He was there. Dressed in civilian clothes, a shirt and slacks and a leather jacket. But there was no mistaking the face.

Sam Wilson was facing away from the entry when he heard the door open. But when he turned around and saw Steve standing in the center of the chamber, he was smiling.

“Well, that didn’t take too long,” said Sam.

“Sorry I kept you waiting,” said Steve. 

“It’s all good, bro.”

“Captain, about time,” said Clint, sitting up at the bars of his cell eagerly.

Scott Lang was at a loss for words, and gaped and mouthed at Steve like a fish. “What, but--how did you get in here?”

“I’ll explain later,” said Steve as he entered the security code for the door to Wilson’s cell. “We need to get going.” The door buzzed and clicked open. With a grateful sigh, Sam walked out of the cell slowly and hugged Steve.

“Are you all right, bro?”

“Never better,” Steve told him, keeping the hug brief. They turned to Scott’s cell and Steve unlocked it.

Scott leaned over from his cot. “Is it--is it okay if I hug you?”

“Sure, why not?” said Steve.

“Just not me, Tictac,” said Sam.

Scott rushed up to Steve and squeezed him, whimpering. 

“Okay, you feel better now?”

“Yes,” said Scott, releasing Steve. “I’m ready to get to work. How are we getting out?”

“Our ride is waiting for us at the secret emergency exit at the bottom,” said Steve, walking over to Barton’s cell. “I need you to go into the control room and make sure the security systems are still offline. Cameras off, lights down, you know the drill. Sam, can you go with him? Make sure there’s nobody on their way. Ross has probably been alerted by now.”

“I’m on it.” Sam and Scott left the room, stretching and breathing, feeling so grateful to be out of their tiny cells.

Steve turned to unlock Barton’s cell, but Barton stopped him. “Get Wanda first, please,” he said, pointing anxiously across the room.

Steve turned around. “Wanda?”

Wanda could hardly find the words so say how she felt. It was so brave of Steve to come for them, and yet he was working alone, or appeared to be. And at any moment Ross would arrive with backup security. 

“It’s all right, Wanda. I’m here now.”

Steve opened her cell, and then he stood in the doorway waiting for her to walk up to him--and saw her on the floor, looking up at him in a piteous bundle on the ground.

“Oh no. Let’s get that off of you first.”

Steve put his hand to the lock on her shock collar. She expected him to unlock it properly, but then he broke it with his bare hands and it fell onto the floor. Well, that was how Steve worked. She shouldn’t have been surprised.

Steve took her by the elbow and lifted her to her feet. She was shaking.

“Is that a straightjacket?”

“Yes it is,” said Barton.

Steve swore. He took the part of the sleeve that was joined together and ripped that apart as well. Wanda found herself gasping with relief, and the she fell into a hug in Steve’s arms, sobbing.

“I am so sorry, Wanda. I wish I had come sooner, I really do.”

“Who brought you?” asked Barton.

Wanda stepped away from Steve. “T’challa. We’re both working with the Doctor.”

Barton shook his head. “I shoulda known.”

“B-but I thought T’challa--” Wanda said.

“He found out that Zemo framed Bucky all and agreed to help me,” said Steve. 

“But how did you get here? Where is Bucky?” asked Wanda.

“He’s somewhere safe,” Steve told her. “Can you go into the other room and wait with the guys?”

“No,” she said, straightening up and taking a breath. “I want to get him out myself.” Her hands were free and the shock collar was gone. Wanda felt her powers building up inside of her, waiting to be used. She created a small plasma ball and sent it shooting at the keypad on Barton’s cell. He backed away just in time before the blast struck. There was a smell of burning plastic and metal and smoke. The door fell off of Barton’s cell. Barton came running out of it and hugged Wanda.

“We’re gonna be okay,” Clint said to her. “We’re gonna get out of here.”

Clint took her by the hand--the way he had at the Avengers’ base--and he and Steve led her into the guardroom.

Inside the guardroom, there were twelve guards lying on their backs, knocked out cold. Wanda, Clint, and Steve stepped over them carefully. Sam and Scott were hunched over the monitors on the control panels.

“Did you do that all by yourself?” Wanda asked looking at the unconscious guards.

“These guys, yes,” said Steve. “T’challa is waiting in his submersible. Lang, Wilson, how are we looking?”

“We’ve got six NATO aircraft inbound,” said Sam. “They should be here in fifteen minutes.”

“That should be plenty of time,” said Steve.

“The security systems are still down and holding,” said Scott. “How did you get them down in the first place?”

“I had help before I came here. I’ll explain later. This way.” Steve stepped out into the hallway beyond the guardroom and turned to the right. Everyone followed him, filing out one at a time. Clint took Wanda right after Steve. Scott followed them, and Sam brought up the rear, closing the door.

The emergency passage that wrapped around the inside of the Raft was a narrow staircase. Their footsteps echoed loudly as they walked quickly down the passage--Steve was wishing that they could have moved with more silence, but there wasn’t time for that. Steve was more important. Louder still than their footsteps was a low murmur of sloshing water--the sea. It made Wanda more frightened to think about it, but when she paused, Clint urged her onward.

“How much further, Cap?” asked Sam.

“We’re about halfway,” said Steve. 

Steve told them to watch their step and helped them to jump over a certain landing--there were unconscious people on it. They didn’t stir when the escapees jumped over them.

“YEOWCH!” Scott shouted, jumping on one foot and clutching the other.

“What happened? You okay?” Sam asked him.

“I stepped on a nail,” Scott said, swearing.

“Need help walking?” 

“I’ll manage,” Scott answered hastily. He took a step forward on his injured foot. It hadn’t been punctured, thank goodness. 

Steve spoke into an ear radio. “T’challa, get ready to launch. We’re almost there.” 

There was a lot on Wanda’s mind with the whole rescue thing, least of all why King T’challa was suddenly helping Steve. But there would be time to think later. For now, Wanda’s worst problem was getting down the rest of the stairs safely. They heard the pipes clinking and metal banging upstairs.

“What was that?” Sam asked in response to one of the noises.

A few heartbeats later, a loud buzzer started going off upstairs, and flashing red lights went off above and around them. A male voice was speaking over an intercom.

“There’s no time, keep moving,” said Clint as Wanda glanced over her shoulder.

“How much further?” asked Sam.

“We’re almost there,” said Steve, partly trying to reassure himself. He spoke into the ear radio. “T’challa, the guards have come ‘round and they’ve activated security. Are you ready?...Good. We’ll be right there.”

They passed an emergency door with a flashing red light above it. She half-expected to see a guard come bursting out of it at any moment.

“Hurry, hurry,” Clint muttered as he led her past the emergency door.

The stairs were arranged in a gradual spiral around the Raft, and Wanda figured they must have gone around twice when they reached a large airlock--and it was opened into a waiting vessel. 

Wanda had not seen the Black Panther without his suit, except in pictures. He was a tall man with close-cropped hair, clean shaven but with a drawn, almost pouting face. But he looked anxious as he watched Steve enter his craft with his four friends. 

“Is that everyone?” asked T’challa.

“Yes,” said Steve. 

“Anyone following?”

“No. Let’s go.”

T’challa walked up to the rear of the vessel and closed the door, then detached his ship from the airlock. He then went up to the cockpit of his submersible, which was in a space above the rest of the craft. Steve and his four rescued friends sat down on two benches that lined the sides of the cabin. The motor turned on with a loud hum, and throbbing it launched from the side of the Raft. Wanda felt the craft diving downward, away from the Raft and the surface and whatever vessels would be prowling the waters above to search for them. And then it slowed down and leveled out--the sensation reminded her a little of an airplane, but in reverse. Wanda took a sigh of relief and then sank her head onto Barton’s lap. Clint stroked her hair. 

The pilot came down from the cockpit. “We should be out of any immediate danger,” said T’challa. “We will travel overnight to our rendezvous, and I can keep the vessel on autopilot while I tend to our guests.”

Sam stood up. “For the record, your highness, I apologize--”

“No apology will be necessary, Wilson,” said T’challa, raising his hands. “You may be seated. Now, who might you be?” he asked, looking at Lang.

Scott sat up. “Sc-sc-scott Lang, sir, also known as the Ant-Man. Or at least until recently.”

T’challa shook hands with him. “Perhaps they will be changing your name to Giant-Man, now. I admit, I was impressed with your suit. We should talk some more later.” He turned to Barton. “And you must be Clint. You will have to forgive my rudeness earlier.”

“Nah. I’ve got bigger problems,” said Clint, shrugging casually. “You’re making up for it nicely. You wouldn’t happen to have any food on board, would you?”

Food. Wanda started crying into Barton’s lap, she was so hungry.

“Now, now, Miss Maximoff, dry your tears,” said T’challa. “You’re probably dehydrated enough as it is.” Wanda looked up at him. A smile teased the very ends of T’challa’s lips, and there was a bit of warmth in his eyes--a bit of humor. He wanted to help her--he wanted to help all of them. For Steve’s sake. And for Bucky’s. 

“I should have some fresh water to go with the food rations on board here,” said T’challa, opening a cabinet below them on Wanda’s left. The wood paneling inside of the submersible was ebony, carved with designs of geometric patterns and animals in exquisite detail. The cushions on the seats were real leather.

“As long as it’s not MRE’s--never thought I could get sick of those, bleh,” said Clint. 

“I assure you, my friend, Wakandian fare is much better than MREs,” said T’challa. He pulled out some water in undecorated plastic bottles. “Here, spring water from the mountains in my country.” 

Wanda took one immediately and guzzled down half of the bottle in one gulp. She had never thought it was possible to be so thirsty. She could have drunk the whole ocean if it wasn’t saltwater.

Clint and Scott each took a quick swig and sighed gratefully. Sam drank more slowly. “Tastes pretty good,” he appraised the drink. 

T’challa handed out food packs, rations of preserved meats, rice, vegetables and fruits mixed with nuts in foil trays, like trail mix and jerky but much sweeter and more filling. 

Steve had a smaller sip if his water. “So, T’challa, are you sure Ross isn’t going to send submarines after us?”

“Let him try,” said T’challa hotly. “No other nation’s vessels could ever match any built in Wakanda.”

“Well, how do you know that?” asked Clint. “I mean, your highness--”

“Call me T’challa, please.”

“Anyway, T’challa, then, isn’t Wakanda a landlocked country to begin with? And plus, it’s so isolated it’s never been in any wars since the modern age began.”

“That’s because any nation would be stupid to pick a fight with Wakanda,” said Scott. “Vibranium-sided tanks and ships, any shots would just bounce off.”

“There is a lake, in my country, where we build and test all of our watercraft,” said T’challa. “If there was ever a need for a force at sea, Wakanda would have the finest fleet of any nation’s.” T’challa looked at Steve and added, “If any naval submarines come after us, it will not be difficult to lose them. We are prepared for any contingencies.”

Sam nodded. He turned to Steve. “So, bro, I think you’ve got a lot to explain.”

“That I do,” said Steve, looking away from Sam. Wanda felt that this was something he would rather not have to talk about. “Where to start? Was it you who told Stark where we’d gone?”

“Yes, that was me,” said Sam. “Right when we were starting to get comfy. I guess the CIA had found evidence that Zemo was behind everything. Stark just wanted to make it right. Did he?”

Wanda stopped munching. She had never seen such a sick look in Steve’s eyes.

“Well...he wanted to, you’ve got that right,” said Steve. “But...there was other things...that got in the way. Well, let me back up. T’challa, when did you get to Siberia, anyhow?”

“I followed Stark from the Raft,” said T’challa. “I was waiting in my aircraft, looking for Stark, wanting to see if he would go to look for you. I knew someone would go after you--to stop you, not to help you, though. I reached the place in Siberia not long after the three of you.”

“Zemo couldn’t have been there much earlier, I reckon,” said Steve slowly. He sighed. “Stark showed up not long after we did. He told us he was there to help. Bucky led us into the main chamber of the base, where the other super-soldiers were. Zemo was waiting, hiding behind a metal door--I should have known...I should have known….”

“Should have known what?” said Wanda.

“Zemo told us that the other super-soldiers had died while in stasis...He kept on talking...he had this VHS player, with a little TV screen. He put in a tape...it was the night that Stark’s parents died. They were killed...by the Winter Soldier.”

“What?” said Clint.

“But Pym told me it was an accident,” said Scott quietly.

“It was Hydra,” said Steve. “But...we’ve destroyed most of the rest of Hydra over the last few years. Bucky was standing right in front of him….”

Sam looked over at Steve. “Rogers, did you know?”

“Yes. I didn’t know it was the Winter Soldier, but I did know that Hydra was behind it. But that wasn’t what Stark wanted to hear. I told him yes.”

The silence in the cabin was grim.

“You can imagine what happened next,” said Steve. “Tony--I’ve never seen him get like that before. I never thought he could get like that.”

“Is Bucky all right?” asked Wanda.

“We both took a beating. A bad one,” said Steve, after a pause. Then he added, “Stark blasted off his metal arm.”

Everyone gasped.

“I did what I could to keep Stark away from him,” said Steve. “I broke the arc reactor in his suit with the shield. And then I grabbed Bucky and got the hell out of there.” Steve swallowed and added, “Stark had a few words to say, while we were walking away. He said I didn’t deserve the shield. It didn’t belong to me. His father had given it to me. So I gave it to him. I left it.” Steve looked around at the others in the room. “As of that moment, I am no longer Captain America.”

“No,” said Wanda.

Clint swore. Scott was speechless.

“Stark was being a jerk, Rogers, you know that,” said Sam. “You didn’t have to do that.”

Steve shook his head. “I could never carry that shield in a world that only wanted me to fight by their rules. You know that, Sam.”

“Yes, but you kept Bucky--Steve, this was never choosing between being Cap and having Bucky.”

“It was nothing to do with that.” 

“It was everything to do with that. You could’ve had both.”

“I can’t have everything, Sam. I’ve tried. It doesn’t work like that. You’ve got to sacrifice sometimes.” Wanda looked at Steve and thought she’d never seen him look more weary. The crows’ feet around his eyes seemed deeper--maybe his nearly one hundred years in age were finally catching up with him.

“So you walked away, then what about Stark?” asked Clint.

“Stark took the quinjet back to civilization,” said T’challa. “I made sure he had a special guest with him.”

“Zemo?” said Wanda.

Steve smirked. 

“And then I went and found you and Mr. Barnes,” said T’challa. “I did offer to take you both back to my country, but then it seems your friend the Doctor had different ideas.”

“I’ve only met him once before, T’challa,” said Steve. “I’d hardly call him a friend.”

“Doctor? What Doctor?” asked Scott.

“The Doctor? Really?” said Wanda.

“Really?” said Sam, raising his eyebrows.

“Yes. He came and found us. He hasn’t told me much, but he says he wants to help Bucky get back to his ‘adopted family’ in Arizona,” said Steve, making quotation signs in the air around the phrase ‘adopted family.’ “He says that Hydra is staging its Resurgence there.”

Nobody else was buying it--except for Wanda. “Are you certain, Steve? Has he given you any details?”

“Something about a massive prison escape and Hydra going after the eurekaite--also threatening the Tanner family.”

“Is he serious?” asked Clint.

“What does Bucky think of all this?” asked Sam.

“The Doctor told him separately. He said Bucky’s going to think about it,” Steve shrugged. “But the Doctor wanted to get you all out of prison in the event that some of you would like to help him--us, I guess. You don’t have to go. It’s just, it’s voluntary. The Doctor says you don’t owe him anything for getting out of prison.”

“You’re going to go to Arizona?” said Sam.

“Cap, you know how hot it gets down there this time of year?” said Clint.

“If Bucky goes, I’ll go with him,” said Steve. “But in any event, I felt bad leaving you guys locked up before I went anywhere else.”

Clint sighed. “I’m glad you got us too, Cap--can I still call you that?”

“I’ll answer to it.”

“But anyway,” said Clint, stretching, “if there’s any truth to what the Doctor is saying about Hydra being in Arizona, and you’re going to go after them, then what about Stark? Certainly it would be smarter to leave the country and go into hiding somewhere instead of hitching back to fight Hydra again. I mean, didn’t we already get in trouble for that?”

“He’s got a point, Steve,” said Sam. “And you can’t just expect us to go with you and for there not to be consequences. We’re wanted criminals now. All of us.”

“I know,” said Steve heavily. “And Tony knows that too.” Steve paused as he searched for the right words to continue. “But Tony also knows that you should never have gone into that prison in the first place.”

Sam sniffed. “That doesn’t mean he’s going to have a change of heart--”

“No. He doesn’t need one to do the right thing.”

“I’m sorry, Cap, you’ve lost me,” said Clint. 

Steve sighed. “I sent Tony a letter. I had some time to think while I was in the TARDIS. I wanted to give him something, in case he wanted to get a hold of me.”

“The Captain and I stopped in Berlin to pick up this aircraft,” said T’challa. “While we were there, I got Steve a cellular phone. The phone connects to a private line in the royal household of Wakanda. Steve gave the phone and the letter to the Doctor.”

“The Doctor said he would put it in a nice package and have it delivered to Tony in the States,” said Steve. “He said Tony was back at the base in Corinth.”

“Did you tell him what you were doing?” said Clint.

“Not exactly. But I let him know why I was doing it. Because I couldn’t let you guys down by leaving you to rot on the Raft. Tony could never do that either, so if he knows what’s good for him he won’t go after us. And he’s not friends with Ross, either. It’s a stretch, but it should give us a head start.”

Everyone looked at Steve skeptically.

Wanda sighed. “It will have to do.”

“Nat always said you were a terrible spy, Rogers,” said Clint, grinning.

“What’s that got to do with anything?” said Steve, grinning back.

“So what happens to those of us who don’t go to Arizona with you and Bucky?” Scott Lang spoke up. “I’d much rather go back to San Francisco, if I still can. Hank Pym will probably kill me, but it’d be better than nothing.”

“I know you would,” said Steve. “You’ve got a family there, right?”

“A daughter, yes.”

“Clint has a family, too,” said Steve. “I’m not going to pressure any of you to come with me, but especially you two. You’ve already been through enough helping me out. And I thank you.”

“So where does that leave me and Wanda?” said Sam.

“Well, you can either go with me, or go off on your own. The Doctor and Sharon both said--”

“Wait, what, Sharon? Not her?” said Sam.

“Who?” said Wanda.

“Yes, her,” said Steve. “The Doctor asked her to help him out. In fact, she is partly responsible for hacking into the computer systems aboard the Raft to help me break in. But anyway, the Doctor and Sharon said that S.H.I.E.L.D. should be able to help us out.”

“Right. Even though it is illegal for them to do so now because of the Accords?” said Sam.

“Exactly. That’s where Hillary Tanner comes in the picture, apparently. The Doctor said he spoke with Coulson. Coulson and Tanner said they would give us cover. You’re not obligated to do anything for them in return, but--”

“Let me guess, we’re supposed to go to Arizona and whoop Hydra for them? Is that it?”

“The Doctor said they needed the help.”

“Right. You know, I’m going to let him tell me himself. I’m not sure I’m ready to take your word for it.”

“I’ve met the Doctor before,” said Clint. “Twice. The Doctor doesn’t intervene unless it’s serious. He may be a bit...odd, but he doesn’t mess around. Not when it comes to stuff like this.”

“And he was the one who gave us the tip about Hydra keeping Hedwig captive,” Wanda pointed out. “He’s been right before. Why doubt him now?”

“I think he is interfering,” said T’challa, “when I am only trying to help Barnes and the Captain. But that is my opinion.”

“So where are we going now?” asked Wanda.

“A rendezvous point. The Shetland Islands,” said Steve. “The Doctor will be meeting us there. I assume from there we’ll be getting on the TARDIS to go back to the States.”

“Let me get this straight,” said Scott, “is this the guy from the British TV show? With the police-box time machine?”

“The very same,” said Steve.

“I have not seen it,” said T’challa. “He claims he was banished from Wakanda by my grandfather. I have yet to find proof of that. I will go upstairs to check our coordinates. We should be there in a few hours. Get some sleep, if you can. I doubt the prison was very comfortable.” He gave them all a nod and went upstairs to the bridge. 

Scott stated that he wanted to sleep. Sam moved over on his bench closer to Steve so that Scott could lay down on the rest of it. Clint, Wanda, Steve, and Sam spent the next while talking quietly. The submersible slowed its speed and Wanda could feel it vibrating as it lulled her to sleep on Barton’s shoulder.

 

He could sometimes hear the sound of his own laughter over the noise of the band and the crowd. He looked down at his arms and saw two good hands poking out of the sleeves of a crisp uniform. His hair was shorter and combed back under a hat that he had no idea how it was staying on his head, especially after lifting one of his dance partners. 

Everything was a blur of faces and sounds. He danced with a lot of girls, spinning them and swinging them and watching their faces as they laughed back at him. But there were two who always came back into focus, one with blonde hair and the other with brown hair. The girl with brown hair especially. 

Some part of his present mind remembered the brunette but couldn’t remember from where. He also felt like he’d forgotten how much fun it was to dance--he hadn’t been out dancing since before Grace had died, but when Grace crossed his mind he shoved the thought away as quickly as possible. 

The girl with the brown hair returned. One of the fast dances had ended. Someone in the background was making an announcement over a microphone.

“Come on, Bucky, it’s the last dance of the night,” she said, grabbing him.

“All right, Bonnie,” he said, taking her hand. “Where’d Connie get off to?”

“She’s got a partner over there,” said Bonnie, glancing over her shoulder. Bucky looked and saw their blonde companion dancing with someone who was also wearing a uniform. A lot of the young men there were in military uniforms. 

The music started up again, slow and sweet and slightly bouncy. Bucky and Bonnie mostly swayed on the spot. He could hear a female voice singing in the background, and there was a kind of sadness to her song, a sadness that his past self resonated with. He drew himself closer to Bonnie, felt the curve of her waist and breathed in the scent of her hair--it felt good to be close to a woman. He glanced over at Connie across the way and remembered that she’d had a date with someone that night, someone that Bucky had brought along but who’d gone and left them...and somehow that person leaving had made him feel sad. 

He brought back his attention to the moment. He pulled away from Bonnie and spun her outward, then dipped her dramatically. It made Bonnie laugh--but Bucky couldn’t do more than smile. He was leaving to go somewhere and he’d be gone for a very long time. His present self couldn’t quite put two and two together.

Bonnie, in return, found some pleasure when Bucky spun her in close and he leaned his chin on her shoulder, and then she turned around to rest on his.

“I wish we had met before today,” Bonnie said to him quietly.

“I do too,” said Bucky. “You’re a great girl.”

The music ended, and everyone stopped dancing. 

“Well, maybe we’ll meet again someday,” said Bonnie. Bucky pulled her up and hugged her, and she kissed his cheek. The crowd applauded for the house band.

Connie left her partner and came over to join them. The next part of the memory seemed rushed, squeezed in around all of the people who were rushing to leave the building. 

Bonnie and Connie found their jackets and Bucky helped them put them on. They were walking out of a carnival or a fair of some sort, and it was closing for the night. Bucky heard himself apologize for his absent friend but couldn’t hear the words. He glanced over his shoulder at a building with a sign he couldn’t read without knowing what he was looking for, and saw nothing. He talked casually with Connie and Bonnie. They both thought he was very charming and amusing. A man who walked past them gave them a jealous glare. 

When they exited the fair, they walked away from the crowd huddled at the curb and went up the street a few blocks. Bucky called for a cab to take Connie home. He said goodnight to her and thanked her for coming out with him. 

He turned around to look at Bonnie. “So is this where your brother said he’d pick you up?”

“Yes, yes it is,” said Bonnie. “He said he’d be here by now. I wonder where he could be.” Bonnie glanced around the emptying streets. A mist was beginning to settle.

“That’s all right, I can wait with you,” said Bucky, leaning on a fire hydrant close by. 

Bonnie shook her head at him disapprovingly. “Don’t you have to be somewhere early tomorrow?”

“Nah. It’s no rush.”

“Were you drafted?” Bonnie asked.

“I volunteered,” said Bucky. “But,” he added, looking across the empty street, “since getting back from Basic I’ve been wondering how much I’m really looking forward to this.” He   
paused. “The truth is, I’m not. I’m only going because the Army needs people to fight this war for them. And it helps that I got an officer’s commission--it’s an incentive. But…” He shook his head and cursed quietly. 

“Is it your friend?”

“Yes. The little punk can’t stay out of trouble to save his life. He won’t let my folks look after him, either. I won’t be surprised if he gets arrested for trying to enlist again tonight.” He sighed. “Can’t believe he’d bail on a date just to try and get into this stupid war. Normally when I get him a girl for the night he stays with her--and embarasses himself. Connie may actually have gotten off easy tonight.”

“And I had to suffer with your company?” said Bonnie.

“Did you?”

“Nonsense, you were wonderful,” said Bonnie.

Bucky got off the fire hydrant. “Was I?”

“Yes. You were perfectly charming--and you weren’t even trying.”

Bucky put his arms around her. “Mm-hm, so I make it look easy, then?”

“You make it look natural.”

“And other guys you’ve been with aren’t quite as good at pretending?”

“Nope.”

Bucky smiled at her. “You know, I don’t normally get this close to girls I don’t know very well.”

“And I don’t like getting close to strangers, either,” said Bonnie. “But you just took me on a fun date. And you’re going to war tomorrow. So I think I should be nice to you.”

“But that’s more than I deserve, if I’m about to leave you.”

Bonnie didn’t have a response to that. She just hugged him. Then she pulled back but held on to his hand. 

“So--where did you say you were from again?” asked Bucky.

“Yonkers.”

“Ah. So you’re brother’s got to make quite a drive to come and pick you up, doesn’t he?”

“I’d almost expect him to be waiting here,” said Bonnie, glancing up and down the street. 

“What kind of a car does he drive?”

“You know what, I’m actually not sure,” said Bonnie. She glanced up at Bucky, looking as though she’d been caught off-guard. “I mean, I couldn’t tell you what the make and model is. I’m not an expert on those things.”

“Not many people are.”

“Do you have a car?”

“Nope. Lived in Brooklyn my whole life, always took the subway or walked. But after the war, I’m thinking--” he heard a rattling and clanking sound off in the distance. Looking up down the street, he saw a beaten pickup with a wooden back coming into the view of a yellow street lamp. “Say, does your brother happen to drive one of those?”

Bonnie didn’t respond. She gazed rigidly at the truck as it pulled up to the curb next to her and Bucky. 

“That’s him,” said Bonnie slowly. She turned around. “Well, goodnight, Sergeant Barnes. Thank you for a wonderful evening.”

“You too.” He pulled her in and kissed her cheek quickly. She got into the pickup and, after closing the door with some difficulty, waved goodbye to him. 

He turned and went into the darkness, probably towards what should have been home at one time, but feeling a part of him was missing. Someone else had said goodbye to him earlier that night, someone he’d cared deeply for…

 

His eyes fluttered open slowly. He was back on the TARDIS, his left arm missing and his right arm lying down next to him on top of the bedsheet. He heard a clanking noise off to his right and saw the Doctor organizing one of the infirmary cupboards--apparently he’d dropped something.

The Doctor...Bonnie…wait, her real name wasn’t Bonnie. It was--

“Clara.”

The Doctor stopped what he was doing and turned around to look at Bucky. Bucky looked over his shoulder at the Doctor. 

“Where’s Clara? I thought she’d be here.”

The Doctor closed his eyes, scrunching his face in an almost pained expression. “Clara is dead,” he said finally.

Bucky sat up a little. “Dead?”

“Yes. I’m afraid this time around there was no way to save her--no coming back.” The Doctor shook his head. “She did speak of you--she said she remembered you from a date she went on, in 1942. Do you remember her now?”

“Yes,” said Bucky, looking back up at the ceiling. “That was her.”

The Doctor went back to his work. 

“That was her,” Bucky repeated to himself quietly. He reviewed the dream in his mind. That night--that dance. What else had happened? Something important. He had said goodbye to someone, before going off with Clara.

Had it been Steve?

He turned over on his side. “Where’s Steve?” he asked the Doctor.

“Steve has gone to rescue your teammates,” said the Doctor. “He should be back shortly.” The Doctor closed the cupboard and left the infirmary.

 

Wanda felt the submersible deccelerate to a stop. Then it reversed in a slow arc, the motor groaning loudly. The back of the ship tipped upward as she and the others stirred and woke. She nudged Barton awake. 

Light was coming from the bridge as T’challa came down to the hold. “We have reached our destination,” he announced.

Steve stood up and straightened his shirt. “Any ships out looking for us?”

“I had to change course a few times to avoid detection,” said T’challa. “But that was out to sea. There are no vessels of any kind for miles in this place.” T’challa pressed a button and opened the airlock. It had come to rest above the waterline, on a rock jutting at an angle out of the sea. Steve was the first to emerge. Sam followed. Clint came behind him, with Wanda holding on to his arm. Scott came out last, stretching and yawning, and T’challa followed him after closing the submarine’s airlock. The sky above them was partly cloudy and pink, and the sound of seabirds and crashing waves could be heard in the air. Wanda suddenly realized that she’d never been to a beach before. But she didn’t have long to dwell on that thought when she spotted the TARDIS sitting on the side of the steep hill ahead of them and off to one side. Steve led them up a loose dirt trail between the boulders that covered the shore and wound right up to where the TARDIS was perched. 

The door to the TARDIS opened and the Doctor came out, looking anxious. He was wearing an oversized gray cardigan over a button-up shirt.

“Good to see you, good to see you,” said the Doctor, running up to T’challa and Steve. “So everything went all right, after you left the Raft?”

“Yes, we had no trouble on the voyage,” said Steve. “Let’s get my friends inside--they need a place to bunk down.”

“Indeed, indeed.” The Doctor greeted Sam, Wanda, Clint, and Scott briefly in turn and led them inside the TARDIS. Wanda stole a glance backward at the ocean as they climbed the rest of the way up the path. 

“Sharon! They’re here!” the Doctor called out on entry.

The long staircase down into the control room had been replaced with a short walkway, but other than that the TARDIS wasn’t much different from the last time Wanda had been on it.

A woman that Wanda presumed to be Sharon Carter came out of one of the hallways, hastily buttoning up a shirt. Her blonde hair was down and somewhat messy, and she was wearing slippers. “What have we got?”

“Everyone seems to be fine,” said Steve. “How’ve you been?”

“It’s been quiet here. I’ve been resting, mostly. Your friend upstairs isn’t very conversational and--” she broke off when she saw the Doctor. “Anyway.”

“I got everyone out all right,” said Steve. “They’re a little malnourished, though. Been living off of MREs. Wanda was in a straightjacket and shock collar.” Steve took Wanda by the shoulder and pulled her forward. Wanda felt fine but decided she wouldn’t argue if Steve suggested that she be checked out. “They only let her out to use the bathroom twice a day. T’challa thinks--”

“I think she might be dehydrated,” T’challa cut in. “She had some water to drink on the submersible, but it might not have been enough to make up for being in that prison for a week’s time.”

Sharon looked down at Wanda. “Have you used the restroom since leaving the Raft?”

“Yes,” said Wanda. “T’challa’s submersible had a lavatory. I used it twice. I need to--”

“Well, she’s starting to catch up,” said Sharon. “But I’m going to take her upstairs to check her out anyway.”

“There are some popsicles in the infirmary freezer that Martha left,” said the Doctor. “If you can get them out of the back, they might help with the dehydration.”

“Good call.” Sharon took Wanda by the wrist and led her towards the stairs.

Clint sniffed himself as the two women walked away. “I could use a bath. And some real clothes.”

“There should be plenty of contemporary clothes in the wardrobe, said the Doctor. “If you’ll follow me, gentlemen.” He started to lead them off the opposite direction as Sharon and Wanda reached the top of the stairs. Sharon led her up slowly. At the top, Sharon called down to them.

“Doctor, have them come up to the infirmary once they’re dressed. I want to run checkups on all of them.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said the Doctor.

“Where’s the infirmary?” Scott asked.

“Up the stairs from the control room,” Wanda heard the Doctor say, his voice echoing from the hall. “Take the next two lefts.”

Steve and T’challa took their leave of the group. “I’m going to go up to the kitchen and get some food started,” Steve announced.

“Doctor, I need to get my ship back to my country,” T’challa told the Doctor.

“Can you wait?”

From the top of the stairs, Sharon led Wanda into a hallway.

“So you’re Sharon Carter, then?” said Wanda.

“Yes, I am,” she said. “Did Steve talk to you about me?”

“No. But I’ve heard Director Coulson and the other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents mention you.”

“Fair enough.”

“I’m Wanda, by the way.”

“So I’ve gathered.” Sharon took Wanda down another left and then opened a door. There was an infirmary there, stocked with cupboards and cabinets and a fridge and medical machinery both earthling and alien. And sitting up in the patient bed in the middle of the room was none other than Bucky Barnes, wearing a white shirt but his legs hidden under a sheet. And in place of his metal arm there was an enormous white bandage over his left shoulder. Wanda couldn’t keep herself from staring at him. But Bucky only glanced at her quickly and returned his attention to Sharon.

“Am I gonna have to give up my bed?” he asked her.

“No, I don’t think we have anyone who’s going to need it,” said Sharon, taking Wanda across the room and opening up a cupboard. “But you’re looking too chipper to be lying down all day,” she added, glancing at him over her shoulder. “Why don’t you get out and stretch your legs a bit? It’ll do you some good.”

“I’d have to take my IV with me,” he said, gesturing at the IV pole on the right side of the bed.”

“Well, I can fix that for you,” said Sharon. “But first, let me triage Miss Wanda here.” She told Wanda to pull up a chair while she got out a stethoscope, a blood pressure sleeve, and a thermometer. Sharon took Wanda’s vitals, telling her when to breathe or to move. The sleeve of the straightjacket was actually a heavy material that Wanda found difficult to roll up, and Sharon had to cut it off with a pair of scissors.

Wanda found it hard not to read Sharon’s mind while in such close proximity to her. Sharon didn’t like Bucky that much. It wasn’t that she resented him for nearly killing her when he was brainwashed, like Natasha did--that was Zemo’s doing, it was very clear to Sharon. But Sharon didn’t think highly of the way that Bucky stayed in the infirmary and sulked. She really expected better of her patients, him in particular. 

Wanda glanced across the room at Bucky.

“What happened to you?” he asked her.

“What do you think?” said Wanda. “I got sent to a high-security prison with the others. They put me in a shock collar and a straightjacket, because obviously the Scarlet Witch is going to destroy everything she touches.” Sharon instructed Wanda to lean forward a little. “Trust me, they would have done worse to you if they’d caught you.”

Bucky glanced at the bandage on his left shoulder. “Meh. I beg to differ.”

“Your vitals look normal, thank goodness,” Sharon reported as she put away her triage equipment. She opened the infirmary freezer and pulled out a frosted-over grocery bag. 

“Huh, this actually hasn’t been stocked for a while. And these still look good.” She reached into a package inside of the bag and pulled out a pair of popsicles. “I don’t think you need them that badly but what the heck.” She gave the popsicles to Wanda and returned the bag to the freezer. “I suppose you can go downstairs to see if the Doctor will give you some decent clothes.” Sharon crossed the room to Bucky’s bedside while Wanda left the room. She glanced back at Bucky before she left the infirmary. He returned the look but didn’t say anything.


	5. Decisions over Dinner

Sharon felt that Bucky was recovering well enough that he didn’t need the IV constantly dripping him pain medicine. She removed it, and Bucky actually found it more uncomfortable coming out than going in. His arm felt strangely light without it.

“Give it a couple of hours to wear off,” she told him. “If you still feel in pain, I can get you an injection.” She put away the IV and medicine bag and tubes. She cleaned up and put away her equipment without feeling the need to talk to him. Then she asked him if he wanted anything--clothes, food, adjusting the bed so it was more comfortable. He told her he was fine. Sharon left without another word.

Bucky ended up lying down on the bed, lost in thought. He pulled up the sheets to rest and ended up taking a nap. He wasn’t sure how long of a nap it was. He didn’t recall dreaming anything later. But he awoke to the sound of the Doctor calling his name.

“Mr. Barnes...Mr. Barnes…”

He didn’t come fully awake until he felt something hitting his chest. He gave a small jump but relaxed when he saw that the Doctor had unceremoniously tossed him a bundle of clothes.

“Good to see you awake. Could I speak with you for a moment?”

“Go ahead.”

The Doctor walked over to him and stood next to the bed. “Now, Mr. Barnes, have you taken the time to think about what I offered? To take you to Arizona?”

Bucky thought for a moment, and then he nodded. “Yes.”

“Have you reached your decision, then?”

Bucky glanced down. “I...I haven’t, yet. I’d like to, I really would, but I’m not sure that’s such a good idea, with everyone in the world hunting me down. And if any of those guys that just got out of prison are supposed to come with me, then they wouldn’t have such an easy time, either.”

The Doctor nodded thoughtfully. “I understand your concerns. Perhaps you would like to discuss it with the others, then?”

“I suppose,” Bucky answered with a shrug of his good shoulder. 

“Well, we were going to be sitting down to dinner in just a few minutes. Sharon and Steve both insisted that you join us.”

“Us meaning you and Steve?”

“We meaning everyone. It’s not just your future that is at stake here. Sharon tells me you are feeling better now. No one is forcing you to get out of bed, but it would do you some good to socialize over a meal.”

“I don’t socialize over my meals. I eat alone. I thought you knew that.”

“Yes, I do know that, but if you’re going to Arizona then you might need to consider changing that. I took the liberty of picking out some clothes for you--I hope they fit. I thought it would be best to have you wear a hoodie over that injured arm instead of trying to squeeze a shirt over that bandage. Do you need any help dressing?” 

“I can manage,” said Bucky hastily. 

“Fair enough. The dining room is down the hall to the right, third door. I will see you there.” The Doctor gave him a nod and walked out of the infirmary. 

Bucky tossed the sheet off of himself and stretched. He had been in bed for a while. He hadn’t even left the infirmary since being brought in there. Maybe it would be nice to change things a little. He didn’t have to talk to everyone else over dinner, did he? Well, no, Steve Rogers was probably going to be pestering him to make conversation. Whatever food was being served, Bucky hoped it was good enough to stuff his mouth with to keep himself quiet.

He took his time, however, putting on the clothes that the Doctor had brought for him. The pants were easy enough to pull up with one hand. It was just, he felt tired. And he didn’t want to be out of the infirmary any longer than he had to be. But at what point, he wondered, would he be asked to sleep somewhere else? If he was well enough to join the Doctor’s other guests for dinner, then he didn’t need to stay in the infirmary, did he?

Putting on the hoodie over his shoulders with one arm was tricky enough. But he spent about half a minute fumbling with the zipper, trying to pull it up. Well, it served him right, he supposed, for going on living, for letting Hydra give him the world’s fanciest prosthesis.

It had been a mistake, pretending that that metal arm was normal, was anything but what it had been built to be.

After making a fool of himself trying to pull up the zipper by tugging on the collar of the hoodie with his chin, he decided it was no use and decided to head to the dining room.

He caught a glance of himself in a mirror on the wall. His hair was disgustingly greasy and he was several days past due for a shave. Plus his face was still cut and bruised from the encounter with Stark. He supposed he’d looked worse. 

It took him a moment to remember the directions the Doctor had given him once he was out the infirmary door. When he reached the door to the dining room, the sound of voices and laughter on the other side made him stop. He leaned his ear closer to the door to listen.

“So is this dinner dinner or lunch dinner?” he heard Scott Lang ask.

“I suppose lunch dinner,” said the Doctor. “I am sorry I didn’t think to serve you breakfast when you arrived here.”

“That’s okay,” said Sam Wilson. “T’challa had plenty of snacks on board his sub, didn’t you?”

“I am glad you enjoyed what I had to serve you,” said T’challa. 

“So, the cell phone you gave to Stark,” said Wanda Maximoff, “did you deliver it yourself or have someone else take it for you?”

“Oh, I had it packaged at the FedEx office in Whitehall,” said the Doctor. “I have an old friend there who agreed to take it for me personally.” The Doctor laughed. 

“Who is this old friend of yours?” asked Steve.

“Now, now, Steven, you don’t have to know all of the details.”

“Well, chances are I know this guy. Not that many FedEx drivers who come to Corinth, are there?”

“There are plenty of people who live upstate, Rogers,” said Clint Barton. “It’s not that isolated: chances are you don’t know all of them.”

“True,” said Steve.

“There are plenty of people who live there, but plenty more who come and go,” said the Doctor.

“There is no need to be playing games with us, Doctor,” said Wanda.

Sharon cleared her throat loudly. “So, Steve, did you like living up in Corinth?”

“I did. It was a nice change, to get away from the city. Plus we had plenty of room for an Avengers’ base--”

While leaning on the door, Bucky had pushed it open a little. It squeaked, and he thought he might as well enter all the way. Everyone looked up when he entered. Sharon Carter glanced quickly away and went back to her potatoes.

“Look who’s awake,” said Steve.

“‘Bout time,” said Sam.

“Yay!” Wanda and Barton chorused.

Scott shrugged and ate a mouthful of meat.

“How excellent of you to join us, Mr. Barnes,” said the Doctor. “Do have a seat.” The Doctor gestured at the table. There was an open spot between Steve and Sam. 

The seating option literally could not have been worse. But there was no getting out of it at this point. Bucky sat down while trying to keep his good arm or any other part of his body from making contact with Steve or Sam, but he was terribly aware of the people staring at the sagging left shoulder of his hoodie. 

Steve held out a plate of cooked fish in front of Bucky: rather like yesterday’s, except it was seasoned a little differently. 

“Can I cut some up for you, Buck?”

“Go ahead.” It was the least he could do, to let Steve dish him up something. Sam passed a bowl of salad. Bucky helped himself with one of the serving spoons, landing a small heap of vegetable matter next to the fish. Slowly, a basket of rolls was passed around toward him. Bucky took one of them and sat it on his plate. Clint slid a bowl of potatoes around and Bucky helped himself. Steve watched Bucky warily, ready to jump in if he asked for help. 

Bucky only wished that Steve was a million miles away.

The Doctor took his place at the head of the table, between Steve and T’challa. “Would you care for any dressing, Mr. Barnes?”

“I’m fine, thanks.” He took the fork in his right hand and started to cut up the fish with the side of it. As he ate, he noticed Wanda staring at him. He stared back, and she glanced away, blushing. What was her deal, anyway?

The others at the table looked up at Bucky occasionally but didn’t look for long. Bucky expected the Doctor to say something about Arizona but he focused on eating his food and making light conversation. Wanda had changed out of her prison outfit into a brown jacket and red blouse. Clint, Sam, T’challa, and Scott were all dressed casually. Clint and Scott were the most relaxed of the group, occasionally cracking jokes and passing each other the rolls until they ran out. Sam and Clint also made a little conversation, and Sharon chatted across the table with Wanda. T’challa stirred his salad with his fork and said nothing. Steve felt tense, sitting next to Bucky. Bucky knew that Steve wanted to say something to him, but he wasn’t going to let himself. 

Bucky didn’t have an appetite for seconds. When everyone had cleaned off most of their plates, Clint Barton leaned back and dabbed his lips with a napkin. “That’s a good dinner there, Carter,” he said, nodding to Sharon. “You’re a decent cook.”

“You know,” said Steve, “when we lived in D.C., sometimes I’d walk past your apartment and smell good stuff coming out of there.”

Sharon smirked. “Well, if you’d asked I probably would have let you try some. Busy guy like you, you probably get hungry a lot.”

“You have no idea,” Steve sniffed.

“Yes, thank you again for the meal, Sharon,” the Doctor spoke up. “But now I think it is time to turn to the business at hand.” Everyone looked up the table to the Doctor, but T’challa and Wanda and Scott each stole glances at Bucky. “Now, aside from Mr. Barnes and Steven, how many of you here are familiar with Hydra’s recent activity in Arizona?” 

Sam gave a half-hearted shrug. Clint and Wanda both raised their hands. 

“I was there last March, when Hydra was looking for this guy,” Clint said, pointing his thumb at Bucky. “Romanoff and I helped S.H.I.E.L.D. take out their base in Scottsdale. But I guess that wasn’t what you were referring to.”

“Last November, Natasha and I also stopped a Hydra base in the mountains near Payson,” said Wanda. “They were mining for something called eurekaite, I believe.”

“That is correct,” said the Doctor. “So with the passing of the Sokovia Accords, Hydra has taken advantage of the discord between the Avengers to begin their Resurgence in Arizona.” The Doctor filled them in on Director Coulson’s activities since the Accords were passed and what Coulson and his assistants Mitch and Hillary had done to help him. Everyone listened carefully as the Doctor gave an account of the double prison break and S.H.I.E.L.D.’s battle in Peoria.

“Were you there?” asked Steve.

“No,” said the Doctor. “I have learned most of this from travels in your future--from accounts that will be written later. Coulson did give me a brief summary, however.”

“So here’s my question, Doc,” said Clint in a level voice, making eye contact with the Doctor. “It sounds to me like the crap has hit the ceiling fan down there. But couldn’t you have been there to stop those people fighting for S.H.I.E.L.D. from getting killed? Why couldn’t we just stop the big battle from happening at all?”

“There are a few things, Barton, that I think you have forgotten since we last met.” The Doctor gave Barton a steely glare. “Forgive me for not making this clear sooner. But the term I believe you will all need to acquaint yourselves with is ‘Fixed. Point. In. Time.’” He enunciated those words with all the seriousness he could muster. “I cannot go back and change what has happened--speaking of the battle in the past sense. I can only go back and forth between the events surrounding it. I cannot change the past events that led up to the battle because the outcome is fixed. But we can--all of us--do something to change the events afterward. Director Coulson has told me that he is reluctant to ask for help from local law enforcement again after the casualties suffered in Peoria. Hydra has advanced weaponry and enhanced personnel, they are mining for illegal minerals to create weapons, and as you know the Accords stripped Coulson of the means to deal with those problems in a legal manner.”

“But you assume that Ross would never allow Stark or one of the Avengers still working for him to take care of Hydra themselves?” said Steve.

“At some point in the future, Stark will ask the UN to allow him to intervene, but, no, they consider Hydra’s presence in Arizona too trivial for their panel to approve the mission,” said the Doctor. “It would be considered a local matter, which the UN board overseeing the Avengers would not have any personal stake in--at least that was my understanding of the people in charge. I’ve read the Accords. Twice. They’d have to go through too many flaming hoops that even Stark wouldn’t go through with it.”

“And I get the impression that Coulson doesn’t trust Ross that much anyway,” said Sharon. 

“Does anyone we know trust Thunderbird Ross?” said Clint.

“I don’t even know who that is,” said Scott. 

“But what has that got to do with me?” Bucky said, his voice raised a little. Now Steve and Sam next to him were both acting defensive, and T’challa looked worried. So more quietly, he added, “I thought the Tanners were safer without me being there. If S.H.I.E.L.D. has been able to keep Hydra away from them, then why would they need me?”

“I am not saying they need you, Bucky,” said the Doctor. “But Arizona’s S.H.I.E.L.D. team needs someone--anyone--to help them to fight Hydra.”

“So if Parsons is dead--or is going to die, if this happens in the future,” said Steve, “then who is the director of Arizona’s S.H.I.E.L.D. team?”

“At the moment, no one. Coulson will have a hard time convincing any of the surviving team members to take the job. But I highly doubt he would want one of you in charge of such an important field post, considering only three of you in this room have ever worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. at all--don’t take it personally, just stating the facts. But the point is, Mr. Barnes, you have a personal interest in this. As long as Hydra is in Arizona, if they are able to they will target your foster family. Arizona is your home.”

“Was my home,” said Bucky emphatically. “I can’t go back there. Even if Hydra wasn’t crawling all over the place the CIA and everybody else are still looking for me. The Tanners can’t hide me there anymore. They’d be waiting for me.”

“No, they wouldn’t,” said the Doctor. “For all anyone knows, you and Steve both disappeared in Siberia--died perhaps. The authorities are still dealing with the fallout of the events in Romania and Germany and will have more pressing issues to deal with soon enough.”

“But he is right, Doctor,” T’challa said. “Going back to the states right now would be too dangerous for him. And it could only make matters worse for his family, I fear.” He looked at Bucky. “My friend, if you wish to hide, then stay hidden. Come back with me to my country. No outsiders could ever find you there.” T’challa looked around the table. “I could take all of you to my country and hide you there. You are all outlaws now. I am a king: I can grant you asylum. What better assurance of protection is there?”

“He’s right, Bucky,” said Steve. “You’d be arrested as soon as you showed your face in public, back in the States.”

Bucky looked down at his empty plate. He was tired of running and never escaping. He was tired of fighting and never winning. T’challa would take care of them, in Wakanda.   
But at the same time, he remembered the quiet heartache he’d pushed to the back of his mind when he was found in Romania.

“I am not going to push you either way, son,” said the Doctor. “I am simply here to make sure you were aware of the situation with your foster family.”

No one said anything for a moment. Steve and T’challa were both watching Bucky while he thought over it. Clint was playing with his fork.

“If you need more time to make the decision, I can give it to you,” said the Doctor.

Bucky glanced from the Doctor to T’challa. T’challa’s face was impassive as usual, but Bucky guessed that T’challa was that close to begging him to go to Wakanda.

“In Arizona,” Bucky began, “it’d be really risky, asking the Tanners to look after me. I’d be found out sooner or later.”

“S.H.I.E.L.D. can create a false identity for you, you know,” said Sharon.

“They already tried that.”

“But if you’re working for them this time, things would be different,” said Steve. “They could help out whoever of us wanted to start over.”

“Kind of hard for a one-armed terrorist to start over at this point,” said Bucky. 

“Anytime is a good time to start over, I’d say,” said Clint. “Not that I’ve had to do that a lot--in fact I’m going to need to, if I’m ever getting out of this phone booth.”

“No, you’ve got a point, Barnes,” said Scott. “I had to have a little help when I got out of prison the first time--now I think I’ve blown that second chance as well. It’s not going to be easy for any of us.”

“But you know Hillary Tanner misses you, right?” Wanda spoke up.

“Say what?” said Bucky, looking at her.

Wanda glanced away momentarily, as though she felt like she’d said the wrong thing. But she continued, “Hillary misses you. I am friends with her, so I know. Her family adores you. Hillary thought of you as a good friend--as her brother. And she was very sad after...you disappeared in New Mexico.” She had been about to say “when Grace died.” Just how much did Steve know about the whole thing with Grace and what had he told his friends, Bucky wondered.

But the comment about Hillary stung worse than it should have. He hadn’t meant for Hillary to be sad for him, when Grace had died. He never wanted anyone to worry about him.

At that moment, it hit him just how much it meant, that there were other people in the world that cared for him--not people from a past he couldn’t or didn’t want to remember, but people from a life he had chosen, a family he had found a place in.

He remembered when he had first met Hillary. She’d been nice, but she’d pressured him constantly to make up with Steve. But then Hillary had spent more time with him and come to see him for the person he was now--not Captain America’s old sidekick, not the Winter Soldier. Himself. And they had been good friends.

And Hillary’s siblings and nieces and nephews were all right. But Hillary’s parents had gone overboard with their generosity with him and included him as one of the family from the start--because they had wanted him to be happy.

What meant more to him right then, he wondered. Was it better to be safe or to be happy?

Being with his family would require taking a lot of risks, to them as well as himself. Yet those risks weren’t much different from when he had lived with them before. Another friend had taught him that love requires risk, that having a life was worth the chances of failing. 

He had to stop and remind himself, though, that the challenges facing him weren’t exactly the easiest to deal with.

Bucky looked up at the Doctor. “Zemo’s book. What happened to it?” He glanced at T’challa. “Did Zemo have it on him, when you caught him?”

“No,” T’challa shook his head. “He must have left it somewhere. We should go back for it, Doctor.”

The Doctor held up his hand to keep T’challa from rising from his seat. “The book is in Siberia where Zemo left it, in a dark spot of Hydra’s old bunker. No one will go after it unless they know about it. And before any of you ask, I am not permitted to take it or keep it for you.” 

“What about the people who would know about it?” said Clint darkly. 

“If S.H.I.E.L.D. or the CIA want to retrieve it to hide or destroy it, we’ll let them,” said Bucky.

“We can’t let them destroy it, though, can we?” said Steve. “If your programming is in it, then could we reverse-engineer it to--?”

“I don’t know,” Bucky cut him off. “But if it’s not someone on our side, it’s more than likely to be Hydra.”

“Most people in Hydra who survived the Avengers’ purge didn’t even know about the Winter Soldier,” said the Doctor. “And even fewer of those who did know knew about the Bunker. The chances of someone from Hydra going there and finding the book and using it to harm you are slim. If it turns up anywhere else, of course, we should have it destroyed immediately.”

“I did tell Coulson about the book, though,” said Steve. “I sent him an email, carbon copied to Maria Hill. We’ll discuss it with him. But if you think destroying the book is best, we’ll do it.”

“What about my old handlers?” Bucky inquired. “Are any of them still alive?”

“As far as any of us know, no,” said Sharon. “Most of them are either dead or in prison. Mind you, we can’t really keep tabs on them. The Winter Soldier was Hydra’s best-kept secret--for years everyone assumed you belonged to the Soviets.”

“Which was what Hydra wanted,” said Steve. “They could still be out there, Buck.” 

“I know,” said Bucky, rubbing his forehead with his hand. “We won’t be able to run from them forever.”

“I’m fine with whatever you decide, Bucky,” Steve said to him. “I’ll come with you, even--if you want me.”

Even if he didn’t go to Wakanda, Bucky realized, it would be smarter to not go to Arizona and wade into a war with Hydra. On the other hand, he was tired of wandering around. He didn’t need to find another place to hide--and he wouldn’t be hiding there this time.

He’d always told himself he’d go back to Arizona if he could, stay there if he had the chance.

It sounded to him like Hydra didn’t care whether or not he was in the equation if they wanted to cause trouble. If he went to Arizona, chances were Hydra would do everything in their power to hurt him. 

Chances were Zemo hadn’t been working alone.

Like the Doctor had said, however, those chances were slim. The odds of succeeding--of finally settling down and having a happy life--they were much better. And this time, he wouldn’t have to lie to S.H.I.E.L.D. or ask other people to lie for him. 

Well, home is where your heart is, he’d heard more than once. And he remembered Hillary singing “Home” from ‘Beauty and the Beast’. He gave a slow smile. 

Bucky looked up at T’challa. “Your highness, thank you for offering to take me to your country. Wakanda may be the safest place for me, but it isn’t home.”

“Are you sure?” asked T’challa. He looked sad. 

“I understand that you want to make things right by me,” said Bucky. “But there are also things I have to take care of--I have to make sure my family is safe from Hydra.”

T’challa’s frown deepened. He gave a short sigh. “If you feel it is right. Then go.”

“So the next thing we need to ask,” Steve said to Bucky, “is if you have any preference for who goes with you?”

Bucky shrugged. “Whoever wants to.”

“Do you mind if I come along?” 

Bucky let Steve make eye contact with him. 

“As long as you don’t try to force me to be someone I’m not,” said Bucky. “I still need some time, I think.” 

“I’m not going to force you to reconcile with your past,” said Steve. “I know better than to try that. I can’t guarantee that I’ll be fighting alongside you either. I’m done being Captain America, at least for now. I don’t know if I could follow you into the field after Hydra--maybe there’s somebody else who could--but I can try and support you, if you’d let me.”

Bucky knew that Steve wasn’t about to let him leave again. Not after everything he’d been through to get him back. But Steve had also been a great help to him, in recent weeks. He couldn’t deny that. The least he could do in return, so that Steve would be satisfied, would be to let him come.

“Well...you’re friends with the Tanners too, aren’t you? I’m sure they’d like to have you.”

“Well, I don’t intend on crashing at their house permanently, and I hope you don’t either. If you want, we could get an apartment. Somewhere close. We could still visit them. We’d probably be working with Hillary a lot anyway.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“We don’t need to discuss all of the details right now.”

“Of course not.” Bucky looked around the table. “Anyone else want to come?”

“I’m out,” said Clint.

“Out,” said Scott.

“Out,” Sharon echoed.

“I would like to come, if I didn’t have responsibilities elsewhere, I suppose,” said T’challa. “I wish you the best of luck.”

Sam glanced at Steve and Bucky. “Are you guys gonna mind if I tag along?”

“I never mind, Sam,” said Steve, smirking.

“But what is that going to entail, if you’re coming with us?” Bucky asked. “Babysitting me when Steve’s not around?”

“Like I did at the airport? No thanks. Frankly I’ve had my fill of all this superhero stuff for now, too. I know you can take care of yourself. But I would just rather not you and Steve went off someplace…” Sam gestured uselessly. “I just feel like it’d be smarter to go along and keep an eye on you two idiots.”

“So the hundred-and-ten-degree summer temperatures don’t scare you?” Steve asked.

“I’ve been in worse. And that was with armor on.”

“And how about the rattlesnakes?” said Bucky, leaning back and smirking. 

“I’ll thank you to keep your smart mouth shut, Barnes. I ain’t doin this for you.”

“You don’t need to.” Bucky glanced across the table at Wanda. “So how about you?”

Wanda smacked her lips a few times as she worked up the courage to speak. “I want to go to Arizona with you. I know that, after you, I’m probably the second-most wanted person in the world right now, because I’m so dangerous. But I don’t want to hide either. I am an Avenger. For better or worse, I have entered the fight. I shouldn’t leave it.”

“Wanda, you really don’t have to do this,” said Clint.

“Barton, this is my choice,” said Wanda. “I know that you want to protect me. I just want another chance to make things right--like Bucky does.”

“You have no filial obligations to the Tanners, last I checked,” said Clint. “It might be even harder for you out there than for Barnes. You’ve done enough.”

“I need to do more.”

“Wanda, Laura and the kids would love to have you with us.”

“I would love to go and help. But Hydra needs to be stopped. It is for real this time. It is not a ruse by Zemo: this is actually Hydra threatening people we know. You don’t have to come with us. But I want to finish the job.” Wanda turned to the Doctor. “So that is four of us, then. Will we be enough?”

The Doctor sidestepped the question for a moment. “Mr. Barnes, Wilson, Steven, Miss Maximoff, I appreciate your willingness to volunteer. Truly. Whether or not you actually choose to enter the field of combat is up to you. If you do not, I hope you will put your efforts towards helping S.H.I.E.L.D. with the logistics. Your mission has two main priorities. The highest is to hunt down the remnants of Hydra that have escaped and to end their work, especially those who will be working with the Resurgence in Arizona. The second priority, when you get the chance, is to destroy Hydra’s main base in Mexico. You know all about it, I’m sure, Steven?”

“Well, we know it’s there,” said Steve. “And heavily armed. But the stupid Sokovia Accords wouldn’t let us near them. Getting in there illegally might take some work.”

“One step at a time, Rogers,” said Sam. “We’ll get there.”

“Is there more?” Steve asked the Doctor.

“When you reach Arizona, Director Coulson will give you more details,” said the Doctor. “But there are things that the four of you are supposed to do in Arizona that could not happen otherwise. You are needed there, trust me.” The Doctor looked around the table. “Has everyone eaten their fill?” The dinner guests acknowledged that they had. “Good. Let’s clean up. Mr. Barnes, Agent Carter, Miss Maximoff. I need you to come with me to the Infirmary.”

“What do you need?” Bucky asked him. 

The Doctor was already leaving the room. Bucky turned to follow him, with Sharon behind him. Wanda hastily handed her dishes to Scott and Clint and dashed out of the dining room.

“Well, Doctor, I told you what you wanted to hear, didn’t I?” Bucky said as they entered the infirmary. 

“Probably.” The Doctor turned around to face him. Sharon and Wanda stood behind them, watching. “But if this is the course you are taking, then there is something I need to give you.”

“What?” Bucky had a sinking feeling he knew what it was. The Doctor walked over to open one of the cabinets and got out a long metal box. He placed it on the counter. 

“Come here,” said the Doctor. 

Bucky walked up next to the Doctor. The Doctor pulled his sonic screwdriver from out of his pocket and undid the lock on the box. 

Inside of the box was a prosthetic metal arm. It was almost just like the one Hydra had given him, grooved horizontally and muscular. The red Soviet star was still on the shoulder.

Bucky looked at the Doctor. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“You won’t be able to do much with just one hand, you know. You’d be mad to refuse this.”

“Oh, I’m already criminally insane.”

“You could prove them wrong.”

Bucky huffed. “Look, I don’t want a new arm.”

“You said you wanted to protect your family, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t realize that it would require--”

“You can take it or leave it.” 

Sharon and Wanda stepped up behind them. The Doctor raised the box for a moment so they could see.

He took a second glance at the new arm. He touched it. “Where did you get it, anyway?”

“I called in a special favor from a friend of mine on the far side of the universe,” said the Doctor. “It would take too long to explain all of the details.” They moved aside so Sharon could examine the arm. “But, I wasn’t quite all the way back to the TARDIS yet when I ran into some Daleks who stole it from me. Had quite the adventure getting it back.”

“Uh-huh,” said Bucky. “Well...I guess if I want to be useful.”

“You don’t need two arms to be useful, Bucky, come on,” said Sharon. 

“At least it’s not the one Hydra gave me,” said Bucky. But he looked up at the Doctor. “This favor wasn’t anything sketchy, was it?”

The Doctor shook his head. “As not-sketchy as I always am.” 

“Which means it was very sketchy,” said Sharon, smirking. 

“Agent, if you would stand behind Mr. Barnes, please.”

“What, what’s going on?” Bucky looked at her, alarmed.

“We need to get that new arm attached,” said the Doctor. “You won’t feel a thing. Miss Maximoff?”

Wanda looked up at the Doctor. “What?”

“I think you should know what to do.” He nodded at her.

It took a split second for Wanda’s face to light up with understanding. Then she raised her hands up to Bucky’s head. One small hex, and he was unconscious.

“What’s going ooo--ugh.” He fell over into Sharon’s arms. The Doctor and Wanda helped to carry him onto the infirmary bed.

“Ugh! As little as he’s been eating he’s still pretty heavy,” Sharon grunted as they hauled him onto the bed. Wanda used a hex to help levitate him, feeling odd as she did so. 

The Doctor straightened Bucky up and started to remove his hoodie. “I think it’s the muscle, actually. Thank you for your help, Wanda. We shall not require your assistance for the rest of the procedure.”

“Wait, what?”

Sharon nodded at her. “He says to go now. Go.”

Wanda felt ripped off, only being needed to put Bucky out, but she turned to leave the infirmary as Sharon and the Doctor got out surgical instruments and medicines. Wanda was   
starting to flatten her ruffled feelings when she exited the infirmary, but then waiting for her outside were Steve and T’challa.

“What are they doing in there?” Steve asked. 

“The Doctor has a new prosthetic arm for Bucky,” said Wanda. “They only needed me to put him under so they could attach it.”

“What?” Steve looked ready to barge into the infirmary, but T’challa grabbed him by the arm and restrained him. “Where did he get it?”

“He didn’t say.” Wanda shrugged and went to use the bathroom.

Steve lingered by the infirmary door for the next ten minutes, trying to listen for any sound of what was going on inside. T’challa hovered nearby, pacing and watching Steve with disapproval. After what seemed like far too long, the Doctor emerged, putting his jacket back on.

“Now just a moment, Doc,” said Steve, grabbing the Doctor by the collar.

“Captain,” T’challa said warningly.

“Why didn’t you tell us over dinner that you had a new arm waiting for him? You weren’t really going to let him choose, were you?”

The Doctor backed away. “See here, Steven, I was not going to give it to him unless he was going to end up heading for Arizona, which he is now. But there was no guarantee I could run out and get that arm made for him while you were on the TARDIS, so I thought I would take care of it beforehand.”

“Was that before you talked to Coulson, or after?” 

“After,” the Doctor replied breathlessly.

Steve glared at him. “What are you trying to push on us, Doc, really? What are you doing?”

“That’s not for me to say.”

“Then whose agenda is it, then?”

The Doctor swallowed but said nothing.

“Are you trying to take my best friend away from me? Has that been your only thought since he left Hydra?”

“Steven, I swear, that is the last thing that I wish to do. And no, except for that one instance a year and a half ago I have left Mr. Barnes well alone. Now please, would you not be so defensive--”

Sharon came out of the infirmary, humming to herself. Steve and the Doctor looked at her. Sharon nodded at them and at T’challa and turned down the hallway to go downstairs.

“As I was trying to say,” the Doctor continued once Sharon was gone, “I have your friend’s best interests at heart. It wouldn’t kill you to let him make some decisions for himself, would it?”

“Yes, but who is really in charge here, Barnes or you, Doctor?” said T’challa. 

The Doctor held up his hands. “I can tell you this. I was asked to give him certain things, including the metal arm. But it is ultimately his choice to accept what he is offered. Now why don’t we step away for a few minutes and leave this discussion until we have cooler heads?”

Steve stepped back from the Doctor, but still held his fists clenched. 

“I will remind you to have it, then,” said T’challa. 

The Doctor slipped away from them back toward the dining room. Steve went the other direction to find Sharon. She was in the control room, checking the computer.

“Cooled down now?” she asked Steve.

“Working on it,” he answered her. He walked up closer to her. “Do you know what this Doctor guy is really up to? Has he told you?”

Sharon shrugged. “He hasn’t told me anything.”

Steve took a breath to relax himself. “Sharon...is there any way you could find out for me, what’s going on?”

Sharon looked at Steve. “I’ve always got my eyes and ears open. It’s what I’m trained to do. But Steve, why don’t you calm down and just try to trust the Doctor for the next little while, okay? These are matters of time and space we’re dealing with. Stuff we don’t really understand that well. But the Doctor is the expert here. If he’s trying to help Agent Tanner down in Arizona, then let him. If that’s what Bucky wants to do--”

“I’m not sure that it is,” said Steve, leaning a hand on the top of her computer monitor.

“Steve, from what I’ve gathered, Hillary Tanner and her family mean a lot to Bucky. They’ve given him purpose in life. I thought that was what you wanted for him.”

Steve paused for a second. “You’re right. It is.” And he had to remind himself that he wanted to go with Bucky, no matter what he chose. He put his hand on Sharon’s shoulder. She bent her hand up to lock her fingers with his.

“How long is he going to be out?”

“Give it another half an hour or so, I’d think.”

Steve could content himself with waiting, if Sharon would let him pass the time with her. And she did. 

 

When Bucky came to this time, it took a moment for the infirmary ceiling to stop spinning above him. When it did, he felt a familiar weight on his left shoulder. He had only to think, and the fingers on the new metal arm twinged. He remembered that the Doctor had shown him the arm, and then he’d said something to the Maximoff girl...that was what must have happened. 

He sat up slowly on the infirmary bed. He tried to raise the new arm to examine it but found it slow to respond. It actually felt heavy where it attached to his shoulder and the remains of his old arm. And it hurt a little. When he tried flexing the fingers again the joints were stiff. 

He leaned over to the right side of the bed and pressed the infirmary call button. Within thirty seconds, he heard heavy footsteps outside of the door and people started to enter: the Doctor, followed by Wanda and then Steve and Sharon.

“How are you feeling?” the Doctor asked.

“Fine,” Bucky said.

Before he could say anything else, Wanda spoke up. “I am SO sorry,” she said, rushing to the bedside. “I didn’t know that the Doctor would ask me to--”

“We didn’t know how you would respond--” the Doctor tried to add.

“It’s all right,” said Bucky. He backed away a little from the others, trying to keep his distance.

“How does it feel?” asked Steve, looking at the new arm. “Is it working all right?”

“Well...actually no,” said Bucky, lifting it up slowly to compare with his good hand. “It’s kind of slow, and it’s stiff. It feels heavy.”

“Agent Carter, let’s examine him,” said the Doctor. They went to Bucky’s side to check the arm where it was attached, weighing it and talking quietly. 

“Everything looks fine,” said Sharon. “But it could take a few days to start fully functioning.”

“A few days?” Bucky said, looking at her and the Doctor.

“Would you mind wearing it in a sling?” asked the Doctor.

“I guess,” said Bucky, resigned. The Doctor went over to a cupboard. Bucky flopped down on his pillow, groaning. 

“What is the matter?” asked Wanda, inching closer to the bedside.

“It’s just...I said I would go to Arizona, but I didn’t sign up for a new arm! The Doctor didn’t tell me--”

“Bucky, just relax,” Steve encouraged him, standing next to Wanda. “It might take some getting used to.”

Bucky sighed. “I was already ‘getting used to’ having just one good arm, thank you very much.”

“Bucky, do you want your hoodie on now, before he puts on the sling?” asked Sharon.

“Nah, I’ll be fine.”

The Doctor came over with the sling. Steve and Sharon helped Bucky to fit it over him and put his arm in. 

“Does that help?” asked the Doctor.

“It helps a little,” said Bucky.

“Good. I think when you go back to the states, you can wear the sling out in public, and that could help you blend in.”

“Or to stand out.”

“I have a room waiting for you downstairs--I think you have spent enough time in the infirmary.”

“Okay, whatever, Doc,” said Bucky, still shrugging his good shoulder. The Doctor left the room.

Bucky looked up at Sharon. “Are you sure I’ll only need the sling for a few days?”

“I’m not entirely sure, to be honest,” said Sharon. “We don’t know how Hydra attached the arm they originally gave you. There could have been more of your real arm still part of it. There may be times when this one won’t function completely. It might not be exactly the same.” She shrugged. “We did the best we could.”

Bucky looked down at the slinged arm. “We might as well have skipped it. I’ll be less use with a fake arm that doesn’t work than just one good arm. In any event I didn’t really want one. That’s what the Winter Soldier was known for, was his metal arm...I did...horrible things with the other one. Stark was really doing me a favor.”

“Don’t talk like that,” said Steve, leaning closer to Bucky. 

Bucky backed away. “I’m fine, Steve.”

“Bucky, you don’t have to be afraid,” said Wanda. 

He looked up at her. “How come?”

“Well a new arm...you haven’t used it yet. It can be part of your new life. You won’t be using it for Hydra. You’ll be using it to make the world a better place. One hand can do a lot of good, it is true,” said Wanda. “But think how much more you can do with two.”

“She’s right, Buck,” said Steve. “Besides, it never mattered to the Tanners.”

“Only because they were helping me to keep it hidden,” said Bucky. “I’ll have to hide this one, too.”

“So then it won’t matter,” said Steve.

Bucky looked at the metal arm where it rested in the sling. He moved the hand experimentally. Then he looked at Steve.

“Does matter to you?”

It wasn’t easy for Steve to answer that. “You’ve changed in a lot of ways, from the guy you used to be. I can to live with those changes, Bucky, if you let me. I promise.”

“All right, Steve. But you have to let me do things my way. I know how you like to be in charge. I know you used to be a skinny kid who used to like to take control, but that got   
you in a lot of trouble. That hasn’t changed.”

Sharon and Wanda both giggled. 

“I will go downstairs now,” said Wanda. She left the infirmary, and Sharon, after asking Bucky if he needed anything else, followed her.

“So are we gonna do this?” said Steve.

Bucky swung his legs over the side of the bed. “I know I’m going to.”

“Are you sure? Because it’s not going to be easy, going out there, pretending...and then facing Hydra. It would be bad enough if the rest of the world wasn’t after us.”

“I know,” said Bucky heavily. “You don’t have to come with me. None of you do.”

“Well, I just want to make sure you get there safely. And that you stay safe afterwards, if you let me.”

“If it makes you feel better.”

“Well, I know it’ll make Hillary feel better, to see you again.”

“Heck yeah.” Bucky stood up. “But tell me, Steve, do you think she misses you, too?”

Steve shrugged. “Considering how she reacted when we called her from Germany, I think she’s been worried sick about the both of us. But, I’ve known Hillary longer than you have, so, yeah.”

“Well, I know her better.” 

Steve snorted. “So, will you let me go with you?”

“If you’re friends with Hillary too, then, yes.” But Bucky didn’t sound too enthusiastic about it at the moment. He started to head towards the door.

“Lighten up, will you?” 

Bucky glanced back at Steve with a weird grimace on his face. He walked out of the infirmary. Steve exited behind him, turning out the light as he went.


	6. Final Warnings

Bucky had a room all to himself, next to the Doctor’s private quarters and across the hall from Sharon and Wanda. Steve and Sam shared a room on the other side. Clint and Sam occupied a fourth room. But they would only be staying for one night. 

Once he got to his room, Bucky slouched on the bed and stayed there until dinner. He didn’t really feel like doing anything else. True, he had time for pleasant thoughts of going back to Arizona, but between those he had doubts about whether or not the Tanners would take him in--whether S.H.I.E.L.D. or anyone else would let them. And if he was taking anyone else, and they were wanted, too, then whatever problems they faced would be bigger. He tried easing loose the joints of his metal arm and could actually get the hand to function somewhat. 

Steve understood that Bucky wanted to be alone and spent the afternoon in the TARDIS control room and sitting room talking to the others. 

After an absolutely useless afternoon, the Doctor invited Bucky upstairs for supper. Bucky had a new metal arm but it was in a sling, so he still ate his chicken one-handed: things hadn’t changed much since dinner, really. 

The Doctor announced over supper that he would be dropping them off in the States the next morning after breakfast. Steve asked if he was taking them to Arizona, but the Doctor sidestepped the question. 

“So, T’challa, do you know who the Spider-kid was?” Sam asked.

“The little man in the red suit who tagged along with Stark?” said T’challa. “I didn’t have the chance to meet him, I am afraid. Stark didn’t tell me anything about him.”

“I didn’t get to meet him either,” said Clint. “Little ball of energy, though. Fast. Super strong--stronger than you even, Steve.”

“Probably,” said Steve.

“I heard the rumors about him,” said Sharon. “He’s the Spider-man from New York. Has anyone seen the YouTube videos?”

“I have--I still find cat videos more entertaining, though,” said Clint.

“I’ve seen one or two of them,” said Steve. “I couldn’t tell you if he was the same guy, though. Wearing a fancy suit. Obviously he got some tech from Stark. He’s definitely an enhanced--got some strength capabilities, and agility. Nice kid, though. From Queens.”

“Also a little smart aleck,” said Sam. “Stopped to gawk at Barnes’ arm--didn’t even realize he was the Winter Soldier.” Sam glanced at Bucky. Bucky continued to chew his chicken.   
“Does this kid not watch the news?” Sam continued. 

“I didn’t see much of him,” said Wanda. “Who was he?”

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” said Steve. “Lang, you and him fought after you went big. What happened?”

“Well, the little squirt made a Star Wars reference, and then he tied me up with his webs and pulled me down,” said Scott around a mouthful of salad. 

“So this Spider-man,” Steve asked Sharon, “what else do we know from the YouTube videos?”

“Nobody knows much about him, really,” said Sharon. “He lives in Queens, swings from buildings, fights crime, saves people. Definitely a good guy. Most people think he’s young--late teens or early twenties at the most.”

Clint swallowed his chicken. “Kind of young for a superhero, don’t you think?”

“I was twenty-one when Erskine chose me for his experiment,” said Steve. 

“Same age when I volunteered for Strucker,” said Wanda. “Young people can do...stupid things, sometimes.”

Bucky thought that the Spider-man had could be even younger than that, but he kept the observation to himself. 

“Yeah, but what’s Stark playing at, bringing a little kid like him along?” said Clint. “Doesn’t he know that any of us could have killed each other during the battle?”

“Well, none of us exactly wanted to be in that fight,” said Sam. “Stark just wanted to win. So he cheated.” 

“Trying to scare us, I’ll bet,” said Clint.

“Kid does throw a wallop,” said Scott. “Rhodes felt like a paperweight, compared to him. Just how many people like us are there in the world?”

“Enough to make normal people nervous,” said Steve. 

The Doctor had listened to that part of the conversation with interest. “Well, I was beginning to wonder when the Spider-Man would show up in your dimension. You say that you learned he was from Queens, Steven?”

“Yeah, we got to talking a little, during the battle. He all but told me that Stark recruited him. I don’t think he’s from an illegal experiment--kid that young, accidents happen. I’ve met my share of people who got superpowers from accidents of some kind.” 

“There are many who are born with great abilities,” said T’challa. “And some are trained from a young age, and acquire skills that are honed over the years to be used with strength and precision.”

“And some of us don’t learn quite that young,” said Sharon. She and Steve made eye contact across the table.

Wanda sighed. “Like I said, people my age can make stupid choices sometimes. Even when they think they’re doing it for the right reason.”

“Well, they can learn from them, too,” said Steve, glancing at her. 

The conversation drifted after that, but Bucky was lost in thought, thinking about the mix of choices and accident that had led to his present state. 

Sharon had gone to a town in Scotland earlier that day and gotten ice cream for their group in addition to their supper. Wanda and the Doctor helped her to serve it to their friends. Bucky was reminded of the last time he’d gone out for ice cream with Grace, a week before her death--it was almost enough to make him want to push the dish away after a few bites, but he’d forgotten how ice cream tasted and decided to finish it. Scott Lang talked to T’challa about his Ant-Man and Giant-Man suits and how he had built and improved this technology under the tutelage of Hank Pym. Bucky hadn’t heard of Pym, but T’challa had. Everyone at the table was amused to learn that Pym had not approved of the Giant-Man project and entertained by Scott’s account of trying to talk the old man into helping him. They were quieter, though, when Scott admitted that he had come to help Steve in Germany without Dr. Pym’s blessing. Scott and T’challa were still talking when everyone got up to take their dishes back to the kitchen, and then they went down to the sitting room to continue chatting. 

Bucky stayed at his seat, staring at his empty ice cream bowl, still wondering how much of the last seventy-odd years of his life had been his choice. Steve was the last to rise before he did, and he looked at Bucky with concern.

“You okay, Bucky?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Can I take your dish?”

“Sure.” Bucky handed Steve his bowl and spoon. Steve left the dining room. Bucky decided to go downstairs and get ready for bed. There wasn’t much reason to stay up.

 

Steve opened the door to Bucky’s room the next morning to tell him breakfast was being served. He didn’t stay around to bug him until he got out of bed. Bucky just groaned and laid there for a few minutes, remembering what had transpired over the last few days here in the TARDIS and wondering what the heck he was getting into. The smell of eggs and sausage, however, encouraged him, and he rose from the bed to go eat. 

Breakfast was being served in the sitting room. Everyone else was already dressed except for Scott Lang, who wore a rumpled set of boxers and a fishing t-shirt, and Wanda, who wore a pale pink nightgown. The Doctor was also wearing a suede-trim bathrobe over a pair of silk pajamas and fuzzy slippers. T’challa was wearing a jacket: instead of spending the night in the TARDIS, he had flown his airplane from the Scottish coast back to Wakanda and then gone to meet the TARDIS in Egypt. 

“So are we headed to Arizona, then?” Steve asked the Doctor.

“Actually, Steven, I am taking all of you except for Sharon and his highness to Indiana.”

Clint Barton spat his eggs.

“What?” said Steve.

“You gotta be kidding, Doc,” said Sam.

Bucky felt his appetite diminishing.

“Not all of you are going to Arizona, remember?” said the Doctor.

“Doc, what did I tell you about being more upfront?” said Steve. 

“Steven, in all fairness to Barton, he needs to go back to his family. I can’t take all of you to your destinations directly. It would be easiest to reunite him with his family directly than to make him spend two or three more days driving out to meet them.”

“But what about these guys?” asked Barton. “They’re the ones who are gonna have to drive!”

“And what about me?” asked Scott. “I’ve got a family, too--not as big as the one he’s got, but still--”

“Doctor, this is uncalled for,” said T’challa. “You said you would take them to Arizona.”

“I never said I was taking them to Arizona, your highness,” said the Doctor, shaking his fork at the king. The Doctor looked up at Bucky. “Now, I know what you’re thinking, young Barnes. But here me out: in order for everything to be right--and it will be set right, eventually--you will require help from people who are not here on the TARDIS at this moment. And you will encounter these people on the way to Arizona, but not when you get there.”

Bucky could only stare at him in confusion. 

“You’re not making any sense, Doc,” said Steve.

“It’s not in my contract that I need too--no, seriously, call the BBC. I’m supposed to be outlandish.”

“But not when we’re counting on you to make sense!” said Steve.

“Steve, calm down,” said Sharon, placing her hands on Steve’s shoulders. 

“I am calm, Sharon,” Steve told her.

“You’re a terrible liar.” Sharon kissed his cheek.

T’challa only glared at all of them. Bucky looked away uncomfortably. Would this never end?

Wanda went back to eating her sausage. “Typical,” she muttered.

T’challa spent the rest of breakfast arguing with Steve and the Doctor, trying to get them to go back to Wakanda with him. But the Doctor put his foot down, and Steve had his mind made up. 

Once the breakfast dishes were cleared, the Doctor called for the attention of Steve, Bucky, Sam, Scott, Clint, and Wanda.

“There is an abundance of twenty-first century clothes down in the wardrobe--I trust you would know how to wear them.” His listeners laughed. “You may each take with you one small suitcase and three changes of clothes in addition to the ones you are wearing. The luggage is on a shelf in the wardrobe.” Bucky helped Wanda and Clint to finish cleaning up the breakfast dishes. Then he followed them to the Wardrobe. Bucky hadn’t been down there in his previous trip in the TARDIS. It was a big room, even by TARDIS standards, with a narrow spiral staircase that wound between multiple levels of closets and racks of clothes. Scott, Sam, and Steve were on a section on the main level of the wardrobe picking out clothes. Scott and Sam had duffle bags. Steve, however, had a battered, stiff plastic suitcase that looked a few decades old. 

Steve held up a t-shirt to his broad torso. “Half this stuff doesn’t even fit me,” he muttered quietly.

“Sucks to be big sometimes, doesn’t it, Cap?” said Clint as he led Wanda and Bucky over to the shelf with the luggage. 

“Yeah, it does,” said Steve. “But at least I’m not the Hulk and I’m not constantly changing size.”

“True that,” said Sam.

“At least when I change size my suit changes with me,” said Scott, folding up a pair of cargo pants. “Did the Doctor say anything about shoes?”

“I guess he implied we could take what we were wearing.”

“Hm, I will keep the shoes he gave me yesterday, they are nice,” said Wanda. She was looking through the duffel bags. “Did you guys take all of the good ones?”

“I’m sure there’s plenty left,” said Steve as he was inspecting another shirt. Bucky took a black hoodie from Scott. 

Wanda gave a quiet exclamation of delight and pulled out a suitcase made of wicker, with metal clasps and leather straps. She opened it.

“What’s that?” Bucky asked. 

“Isn’t that a picnic basket?” asked Steve.

“Yes--but it’ll do nicely for only a few days’ of clothes.” She picked up a skirt that had fallen on the ground and stuffed it inside.

“You may want to get something bigger, Wanda,” said Clint. “And less fragile. I can get you a suitcase when we get to the house, you know.”

“This will do for now,” said Wanda, adding a t-shirt and jeans. She knelt on the ground and started looking through women’s clothes. Then she stopped. “I hate not having enough clothes to wear.

“Better get used to it, honey,” said Clint soberly as he packed a duffle bag. “Where we’re going we might have to settle for a smaller paycheck. Chances are I’ve lost my retirement package--not that it was much to live on.”

“What about Laura’s? Didn’t she used to work for S.H.I.E.L.D.?” asked Steve.

“Yeah. She’s been doing paperwork for them in her spare time, too, so they gave her a stipend. But all that’s--over now. We’ll have to start over.”

“Do you think the farm is still safe?”

“I don’t know. Stark would have told the authorities about it.” He cursed quietly. “They’ll be waiting for me to go back there. They’ve probably taken Laura and the kids for questioning.”

Wanda looked up at Clint, panicked.

“Should we tell the Doctor?” said Steve.

“I don’t know.” 

“Let’s just get out of here if we’re going,” said Sam, rolling up a shirt before placing it in his bag.

“Maybe if we’re going directly to your farm then they’re still there,” said Steve. “Maybe they’re all right.”

“Bucky, you got enough clothes?” Steve asked, walking over to Bucky.

“I was just barely getting started,” said Bucky. 

“No need to rush.” Steve handed him a red hoodie and two long-sleeved shirts. Bucky changed into one of them, a black t-shirt with the logo RVCA plastered across the front in large type. To go with that and the blue hoodie he found socks, a pair of tennis shoes, and a blank baseball cap. Steve, Sam, and Scott found caps as well but put them in their bags to wear later. Wanda went into a dressing stall and came out wearing ripped skinny jeans, a tank top, and a brown hoodie. She tried on a brown wool cap to go with these but decided to stow this in her already-crammed wicker suitcase. Steve had to press his suitcase shut to close it. 

Everyone went back to their guest rooms to gather up their clothes and shoes from yesterday. While he was fixing the sling for his arm over his hoodie, Bucky overheard Scott in the hallway asking if he could take some soap, but the Doctor told him no.

“This isn’t a hotel with complimentary suds! I don’t just give out all of my soap or there wouldn’t be enough of it!”

“All of space and time,” T’challa muttered as he watched from the door to his room. “And he doesn’t have enough soap to share with occasional guests.” Bucky sat on his bed, listening to everyone out in the hall. This whole thing was partly his idea--his responsibility. What did they expect him to do for them? Did they trust him? Would they respect him? Would Clint Barton be okay with taking the Winter Soldier to his house? And what would happen after they left? How long would it take to Arizona? Would those following him be okay traveling for...however long...just to get to someplace else?

At least once they left the TARDIS, they would all be on their way to somewhere. 

Steve came out of his room, wearing the leather jacket that the Doctor had given him the day before. He knocked on the door to Sharon’s room and asked if she wanted to see him off. She came out.

“So where is the Doctor taking you when he’s dropped us off?” Steve asked her.

“He hasn’t said anything yet. Probably back to England--I wouldn’t mind that, really.”

Bucky stepped out into the hall behind them and closed the door to his guest room.

“You know, the Doctor currently has an opening for a companion,” Steve suggested.

“No thanks,” said Sharon. “I’d like to stay in the real world.”

“All of space and time, fighting monsters and aliens--there’s nobody I know better qualified.”

“I thought you wanted to keep in touch.” 

“Well--you’re right, but it would also be kind of cool, I’m just saying.”

“Would you like to be his new companion, then?”

“Ha ha, no, not me,” said Steve, laughing quietly. “I’ve got other things to take care of.” Steve and Sharon were walking very close to each other when they entered the control room. Steve was carrying his suitcase on his left, and Sharon’s right hand was very close to it. One of them should have just grabbed the other to hold it, if they liked each other that much, Bucky thought.

Clint, Scott, Sam, and Wanda stood next to the exit. Scott and Sam had their bags on the ground as they leaned against the railing, but Clint held his bag over his shoulder. Wanda was standing next to her wicker suitcase, wearing her new hat and rocking back and forth on her feet.

T’challa stood off to one side, watching them. The Doctor was next to the control panel. 

“Doctor, are you sure this is a good idea?” T’challa asked when Steve entered. “I still think it would be wiser to take the Captain and his friends to my country.”

The Doctor looked at Steve and Bucky.

“Maybe some other time,” Bucky said.

“We’d like to,” said Steve. “Really. But we’ve got a job to do.”

“But don’t you realize, either of you?” said T’challa. “Are you blinded to your danger by the Doctor’s generosity?”

“We’re painfully aware of the danger, your highness,” said Bucky.

“Your highness, please, let these good men go,” said the Doctor, turning to face T’challa. He walked up very close to the young king. “I know that you are trying to help them. But, in the bigger scheme of things, friends who separate do--when fortune favors them--meet again. You will have your chance to help them, I promise you. All you have to do is to wait.”

“For how long?” asked T’challa, his scowl growing deeper.

The Doctor leaned close to T’challa and whispered something that none of the others could hear: “I will return you to where I found you in Siberia, not ten minutes after we vanished. Wait for ten minutes more, and you will have all that your heart desires.” The Doctor stepped back. “Fair enough?”

T’challa nodded. “I will wait, then. But if you do not hold up your end of the bargain, and appear at the appointed time, I will--”

“Do what? I’m a Time Lord. You can’t kill me.”

“I will only do what is fair.”

The Doctor turned around. Everyone had been watching him and T’challa uncomfortably. “Well, is everyone ready to go?”

“I’m ready,” said Steve.

Bucky gave a sigh. “I guess...I’m ready.” He played with the zipper on his duffel bag. 

Steve walked forward to shake hands with the Doctor.

“Doc, you really came through this time,” said Steve, not adding that the Doctor had still given him reasonable difficulty. “Thank you.”

“It was my pleasure serving you,” said the Doctor. 

Steve walked forward to say farewell to T’challa. “And thank you, for helping us. I know that...things didn’t work out quite the way you wanted them to.”

“Well, perhaps I can be of future service to you, my friend,” said T’challa. T’challa reached out to Steve and embraced him. Steve hugged back a little. 

Sharon turned to Bucky. “Well, I guess this is goodbye for now--but maybe I’ll run into you again sometime.”

“Personally, I hope not.”

“Well, just hope it’ll be a happy occasion if it does happen,” said Sharon. Bucky wondered if she was referring to her and Steve having a rendezvous. But Bucky planned to be absent for that if he had the option. He gave Sharon a nod and crossed the room to shake hands with T’challa while Sharon and the Doctor said goodbye to the others. He saw Wanda hugging Sharon out of the corner of his eye.

“I hope you will be able to protect your family, Barnes,” said T’challa, his face deceptively blank. 

“I hope so too,” said Bucky. “I’m...sorry about your father. And I’m sorry you didn’t get to help me as much as you would have liked.”

“Don’t be,” said T’challa. “My father would have wanted you to go and live your own life.” 

“Well...that’s what I want to.” He waited for T’challa to reach for him--to shake his hand or something--but T’challa only nodded and gave a very faint smile.

Bucky turned around to face the Doctor. “So this is it, then?” he said quietly.

“Yes, Mr. Barnes,” said the Doctor, patting his repaired shoulder gently. “I’m not permitted to intervene in your quest. But I am at least grateful that I was able to get you started.”

“Will this make things right?” Bucky asked him.

“Hm, no, I wouldn’t say that,” said the Doctor. “It will make some things right. It will help you in the long run, I think, to give you more time with your family--and settle the score with Hydra once and for all. One less battle to fight further down the road.” He stepped closer to Bucky and added in a whisper, “Should the road prove too difficult--should you find yourself in the exact same position as when I found you in Siberia--then I will come. And you will have the chance to make a different choice.”

Bucky gave him a confused look. “I’m sorry, what do you--”

“So Doc, how soon do we get to my place?” Clint Barton spoke up.

The Doctor turned around to check his instruments. “I think we should be arriving soon. Arriving about--now.” The Doctor turned around. “I’ll show you to the door, then.”

The Doctor crossed the short catwalk to the TARDIS door. Sam, Wanda, Scott, and Bucky followed him. Steve, however, lingered beside Sharon. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?” he asked her quietly, holding her hand.

“I still need some time to find a new cover,” said Sharon, squeezing his hand back. “That could take awhile. But don’t worry. I’ll find a way to get a hold of you.”

“You wanna write me?”

“Write you. Email. Call or text. Whichever. We’ll keep in touch.”

“I’ll let you do that,” said Steve. “When you’re ready.”

“Hopefully you’ll be ready by then, too.” They kissed on the mouth briefly. Steve let her hand fall slowly out of his as he walked away. He gave a nod to T’challa, who stood next to   
Sharon to watch them leave.

The Doctor stood in front of the main door to the TARDIS, his hand on the doorknob ready to open it.

“Now, listen carefully, those of you who are going on to Arizona,” said the Doctor. “It will not be safe for Bucky to be in Mesa until after next Wednesday after S.H.I.E.L.D. has dealt with Hydra. Hillary Tanner will return to her home next Friday at three o’clock. Her family will be at Tanner Automotive before then, if you would like to meet with them there.”

“We’ll keep that in mind,” said Steve.

“Good luck,” said the Doctor. “To each of you.” He opened the door. Steve came out first. He was followed by Scott, then Sam, then Clint and Wanda. Bucky came last. The Doctor looked Bucky in the eye and nodded to him. Then he smiled. “Ta-ta!”

The door to the TARDIS closed behind them.

It may have been morning on the TARDIS, but where they were at, it was the middle of the afternoon. Bucky felt the sun right on top of him, heating up the inside of his hoodie. They were in the middle of a wild, overgrown deciduous forest. Insects flew up out of the low-growing bushes and weeds wherever they stepped. The strap of Scott’s bag got caught on a low-hanging branch and Sam had to untangle him from it.

Steve glanced behind at the TARDIS. “So how does this work? Did we lose half a day by stepping out the door?” He glanced at Bucky. Bucky shrugged but didn’t say anything.

“I guess time continuity does not matter to the Doctor,” said Wanda. “We were only on the TARDIS for a night but we’ve probably been gone for days. Do you know where we are, Barton?”

“‘Bout a quarter of a mile from my house--maybe even closer,” said Clint, peering ahead through the trees.

“Would’ve been nicer if he’d dropped us off at the front door,” said Sam.

“Meh. This is better. Laura would have freaked out even more to see a blue police box on our porch.”

Bucky glanced over his shoulder as the rest of the group advanced through the brush. The TARDIS had disappeared. He fell behind the rest of the group, lost in his own thoughts. The setting somehow invoked a memory of a much different forest in a faraway place, cool and dark in the early morning...

 

Interlude

Austria, November 1943

The last thing he’d remembered was Steve grabbing the railing of the walkway and then the both of them falling as Hydra’s factory collapsed. As they fell, they were surrounded by smoke and fire and noxious fumes that nearly blinded them. Then they landed, and everything was darkness. Cold and twisted pieces of metal surrounded them, and the only warmth came from clinging to each other for dear life, as though they were going to continue falling at any moment. The only sound was parts of the structure collapsing in the distance, the steady sound of the other’s breathing close by. Minutes, hours, there was no keeping track of the time in that space under the rubble.

Bucky guessed that Steve was awake but he wasn’t sure. He wasn’t even sure if he was awake, or if the last half an hour had been a dream and he’d just gone back into the darkness of Zola’s drugs. But remembering that Steve had come for him--Steve had come and gotten him out of there--Steve, the little kid from Brooklyn who was too stupid to stay out of a fight--Steve, now somehow miraculously tall and muscular--Steve, the best friend that he loved and watched over--Steve had come for HIM. 

Bucky cursed mentally. That punk had really outdone himself this time. And yet this time, he’d come out on top.

Remembering Steve triggered other memories too--the home he thought he would never make it back to, the family who would have been devastated by the news of his capture. He felt his heart racing. The men from his unit--they had been captured too? Had they escaped? Were they nearby? Were they all right?

“Steve?” Bucky said finally, his voice a squeak that pierced the darkness.

“I hear ya, Bucky.” 

Bucky groaned. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. You?” 

“Arrgh. Could be better, I suppose.”

“Let’s get you out of here.” Bucky heard groaning and shaking from a concrete slab that was lying on top of them and Steve grunting with exhaustion. What was Steve thinking, pushing a thing that heavy--oh, wait, he wasn’t skinny anymore. Dust and grains of rock fell in the dark space, and Bucky clamped his eyes shut and turned his face downward to avoid the shower of debris. But then the wall popped away from the dark cavern and fresh air and the sound of crickets came rushing in. With more room to maneuver, Steve began to push himself upward against the twisted metal that covered him and Bucky. Bucky wondered if he should get up and help but more dust and dirt and glass was falling and he had to cover his eyes. But then the metal heaved upward and to one side, and Bucky looked up and saw Steve standing like a Goliath to hold it up and drop it, his muscles bulging under the coat he was wearing, shadowy in the light of the remaining fires. 

Steve dropped the metal sheet, exhausted. Bucky freed himself from the twisted remains of the walkway, and Steve lowered a hand to help him to his feet. He wasn’t quite as trembly and dizzy as he had been a while ago, when Steve had first found him. But there was an achiness to his muscles and bones that lingered from the experiments, buried under a new layer of aches and bruises from the fall.

“Anything broken?” Steve asked him.

“Augh, no.” Bucky leaned onto his knees, panting. He stood up straight as best he could. “Were there others?”

“What?”

“Were there others, Steve? From my unit? Were they here?” Bucky was hanging on to Steve by one arm, looking up at him.

“Yes, Schmidt had them working in the factory. I found them on my way to get you. I told them to get out of here.”

“Where did they go?”

Steve struggled to find the right words for a moment. “Back to the lines, I suppose. The American camp is a few miles behind the front.”

“That’s miles from here--they could be anywhere, Steve!” Bucky swore. He rubbed his face.

“Hey,” said Steve, holding Bucky with one arm, “I wasn’t about to just come here to save you and leave everybody else behind. If you were gone...what good would it have done?”

“Tryin’ to do my job for me?”

“Sure I can. I’m a captain.”

Bucky sniffed. Steve was just being cryptic, he guessed. But he threw his arms around Steve and hugged him for a long time. “Thank you. Thank you,” was all he could say.

After a few minutes of that, Steve suggested that they get going to find the others. They walked away from the strewn remains of the Hydra factory. Parts of it had been blown underground, and they had to climb out a ways to get to the forest level. It was practically a crater. Bucky tried to manage on his own for the first part of the climb, but his strength ran out quickly, and Steve had to help him up for most of it. Most of the way they were both coughing from the smoke and fumes. When they reached the top, they stopped and both had a long rest. Then they walked away from the ruin and into the forest. The crickets were still chirping, but other nocturnal creatures had been scared away by the explosion. Walking around the edge of Hydra’s factory, they came across the factory outbuildings and barracks and found exploded tanks and dead bodies and the remains of a fight.

“Did my men--?” Bucky asked.

“Yeah,” said Steve. “Looks like they did a pretty good job.”

Bucky glanced sideways at Steve. That didn’t sound quite like the Steve he’d known, either. Maybe there was something about him that had changed on the inside. More confidence. More savvy.

To Bucky, that only meant that Steve was more foolhardy than ever. Dumb punk.

“So Steve, what exactly happened to you?” Bucky asked. 

“It’s a long story.”

“You gave me a summary earlier--if you could call it that.” 

Steve was digging in the front of his coat. He pulled something out, cursed, and then put the thing away. 

“Let’s see if one of these things will still run, come on.” He gestured toward the remains of Hydra’s parked tanks and trucks. 

“So what happened? I think if we’re going to be here all night you might as well give me the full story.” Bucky scampered behind Steve as Steve strolled around the destroyed vehicles, looking for one that would work. He was still carrying the triangular shield on his arm, with the flag design scratched and dented and the aluminum body riddled with bullet holes. 

“And what’s with that shield, anyway? You shouldn’t have stood a chance with that thing.” 

“Hey, it was better than nothing.”

“Better than nothing? You do realize people haven’t carried shields into battle since the sixteenth century, right? And you’ve seen the kind of weaponry Hydra has, right?”

“Well, this...you can hit people with it.”

“Hit people with it? Really?”

“What? Why are you talking so much?”

“I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on here. People don’t just show up unexpectedly and be two feet taller than they normally are.”

Steve surveyed the debris field. “We’ll go that way,” he said, pointing with his shield. Bucky shrugged and followed him over the remains of the exploded vehicles. 

“You’ve been lying to me in your letters, Steve, haven’t you?” said Bucky. “You just didn’t want me to worry, did you?”

Steve stopped suddenly. Bucky thought he’d seen something.

“What is it?”

Steve looked squarely at Bucky. Bucky couldn’t see Steve’s face very well, but in the fading firelight, it was the best view he had of Steve’s new face. He had to look up only just a bit. The head was overall a bit bigger, the face broader, the nose longer. But the eyes were the same, still fringed by those long eyelashes that Steve had inherited from his mother. And that look of absolute loyalty and trust--that hadn’t changed a bit.

“Bucky, it’s me. All right?”

“All right.” 

They continued walking. They passed the fallen body of a Hydra guard, lying on his stomach with his rifle knocked out if his grasp. He had been hit from behind as the Allied prisoners had escaped. Bucky picked up the rifle. It was still loaded and would work in a pinch. At least if he was carrying something, he wouldn’t look silly walking empty-handed next to Steve.

They walked deeper into the forest, following the tracks of the tanks and trucks that the escapees had stolen. Talking quietly, Steve filled in Bucky on the last year and a half of his life--beginning when they had said farewell at the Future Expo in New York. That very night, it happened, Steve had met Dr. Erskine, who was working on a secret project for the allies. That project explained how sickly and undersized Steve had been able to enlist and go to boot camp, and in spite of being the least qualified applicant be chosen to become what Steve said Erskine and Colonel Phillips and the Strategic Scientific Reserve called a “super-soldier.” But Bucky had to roll his eyes when Steve admitted that he’d thought working for Senator so-and-so was a better idea than going to Alamogordo to undergo further testing. It turned out being a chorus girl hadn’t been much better. There had been a few perks--an income, for instance, and paid travel--but being idolized for his improved looks and physical strength? Steve had hated that. He’d only lied to Bucky in their handful of exchanged letters just because he knew that Bucky wouldn’t have stood for it. And also because there was no way of explaining how he had ended up being a dancing monkey: Project Rebirth had been classified to begin with.

The story got better, though, when Steve explained that he just happened to be on the front lines for a tour when a dame named Peggy Carter who worked for the SSR had informed him of the 107th being captured. Bucky was impressed that Steve had been able to carry a conversation that long with a girl in the first place. But the jab about Peggy aside, Steve explained that Peggy had enlisted the help of millionaire Howard Stark to get him behind enemy lines for the rescue.

“The Howard Stark?” said Bucky. He remembered Stark’s demonstration at the Future Expo. “You don’t say. Well, you’ll have to introduce me so I can thank him personally.”

“I’m not exactly that close with Stark--” Steve began.

“Come on, Steve. You’re obviously well-connected, being ‘Captain America’ and all.”

“Oh please.”

“I mean it, Steve. I really want to thank him for helping you.”

“Okay. I can’t promise you anything--”

“It’s all right. Do what you can.”

Bucky asked Steve if he’d kept in contact with his family back in New York. Steve sheepishly had to admit that he hadn’t written them. There wasn’t much Bucky could do about that at the moment. The two friends drifted into silence and continued to walk. It was chilly, away from the smoldering remains of the Hydra factory, and they could see their breath. Bucky didn’t like being in the dark--the trees were tall and surrounded them almost completely in shadow and echoed with strange noises. The sky above was a bitter black with stars that looked cold and distant. 

But he wasn’t alone. He took great comfort in that.

Bucky was doing well walking on his own. He stumbled once or twice in the dark and Steve had to help him up, but he didn’t complain. They stopped for another brief rest and then walked for another hour. They were following a road leading away from the Hydra factory towards the front lines. 

“I remember this road,” said Bucky. “It’s dark now, but I remember coming this way, after they captured us.”

“Do you know where we’re headed?” said Steve.

“Back to the battlefield,” said Bucky. 

“How much further?”

“Dunno.”

They walked further and the road widened. They could hear sounds from up ahead that were more like human voices and car engines. Finally they entered a broad clearing on a hillside. Cars and trucks and tanks were parked and people were milling around, some with flashlights. And they caught notice of Steve and Bucky entering the clearing.

“Hey, look! It’s him!” someone shouted.

“He’s got the sergeant!” another said.

“I don’t believe it!”

Bucky had to shield his eyes from the lights that were suddenly focused on him and Steve. Was this what it was like, following Captain America around? There were people shouting, and then he heard and saw people who recognized him from his unit.

“Sarge,” said one standing close by, standing at attention.

“At ease, private,” said Bucky. 

“Who was your second-in-command?” Steve asked him.

Bucky looked around and saw who he was looking for. “Dugan.” Dum-Dum Dugan was leaning in a huddle on the hood of a trunk with a group of other soldiers, Gabe and Morita among them, along with a man in a beret that Bucky didn’t recognize.

Dum-Dum heard the commotion and looked up to see Steve and Bucky walking up to them.

“Well, look who’s back,” said Dum-Dum, tweaking the end of his mustache. He was looking at Steve. “Did you find who you were looking for?”

“You bet he did,” said Bucky.

Dum-Dum gave Bucky a startled look. “Sarge? Is that you?” Some of the other soldiers standing close by gave surprised looks.

Dum-Dum swore. “You’re alive and walking. What did they do to you?”

“Not something I’d wish to discuss right now. I trust you’re all right?”

“Well as can be expected. They worked our (swearword)s off. We had to fight like hell to get out of there. Then the factory started exploding from the inside--was that your doing, ‘Captain’?” Dum-Dum asked Steve.

“It wasn’t, actually,” said Steve. “I think Schmidt built in a self-destruct.”

“Hm, that explains it,” said Gabe.

Bucky sniffed. “This punk has started bigger fires in Brooklyn. Trust me.”

“You two know each other?” Morita asked.

“I should think it was obvious. You were saying, Dugan?”

“Well, anyway, when that started, we decided to get the hell out of there. We weren’t sure it was a good idea to wait for your friend the Captain here--” Dum-Dum said with a laugh, “or to go back and look for you later. We stopped here to rest for a while.”

“We were just thinking about going back for you, Captain,” said Gabe.

Morita snickered. “We weren’t thinking there would be anything left to bury.”

“Well, it’s a good thing we showed up when we did, then,” said Bucky. “Dugan, I’d like to confer with you on the way over. ‘Captain’ Rogers will show us the way back to the front lines.” Bucky smirked at Steve.

“Very funny,” said Steve.

“You heard him, men. Move out,” said Dum-Dum, walking away from the truck so he could give orders to the soldiers waiting around. The men started to pile into the stolen vehicles and rev up the engines.

“I don’t believe it,” said a voice behind Bucky.

He turned around. The man wasn’t from his unit--must have been from a different division.

“You don’t believe what?” said Bucky.

“Any of it.” He paused and added, “Zola took my commander away and he never came back. But you’re doing just fine.”

Bucky glanced at Steve, who was holding his breath. Bucky shrugged and shook his head at the soldier. “I guess it must not have affected me.”

Bucky and Steve got into a truck with Dum-Dum and Gabe. They both asked the escaped prisoners about their time working for Hydra and what they knew about Schmidt’s plans, which wasn’t much.

Before the procession of soldiers had gone too far, the black sky began to turn faintly gray, and the stars were beginning to fade. 

They were behind the American lines when Steve decided to get out and walk the rest of the way to the camp. He wanted to present himself to Colonel Philips in case he needed to be punished for insubordination. Bucky decided to get out and walk with Steve. That was when Dum-Dum and Gabe decided to go with them. Soon enough most of the vehicles in their convoy had parked and nearly everyone was walking into camp. The sky was a dark bluish gray, but in the east it was beginning to grow lighter. And Bucky realized that he wouldn’t have seen the sunrise if it wasn’t for Steve...


	7. A Not-So-Triumphant Return

Bucky didn’t remember all of those details. But the feeling of walking through a forest with other people--that much had stayed with him. It was Steve’s presence that made the feeling familiar--the same face looking at him with worry. The rest of the group was walking steadily ahead through the trees. Steve lingered behind them, watching Bucky, waiting for him to catch up.

“I’m fine,” said Bucky. “Go ahead.”

Steve reluctantly pressed forward. Bucky guessed it would have been the nice thing to do to catch up with him and make small talk, but he didn’t want to.

The trees ended in a broad valley of open pastures. There was a farm on the far side. When they came out of the trees, Barton stopped for a moment to survey the farm. Wanda looked at him, but he said nothing, and they continued forward with Sam and Scott behind them. Steve stayed by the edge of the trees and waited for Bucky to come out. Bucky came out and gave Steve a look. Steve resumed walking. Bucky kept himself about a yard’s length away from Steve, his metal arm in the sling and his good arm holding the strap of his duffel bag. Steve would glance sideways at Bucky occasionally and Bucky had to really repress the temptation to yell at him to just STOP. 

Barton took the group through a gap in a fence near the woods and then across one of the fields towards a small gate. Steve looked up at the house: he wasn’t excited to be going there.

Bucky walked a little closer to Steve. “Have you been here before?” Bucky asked him. 

“Yeah,” said Steve. He shoved his hands in his jacket pockets. “Wasn’t a happy occasion.”

Bucky had to admit to himself that he felt a little bad for Steve at that moment, but he wasn’t going to show it. They got grass and burrs stuck in their socks and on their shoes as they went through the fields and it made Bucky’s ankles itch like crazy. 

Wanda was at the front of the group and the first to open the gate that led into the yard. She hadn’t gotten a hundred feet from the farmhouse when the door burst open. Two children, a boy and a girl, came out running to meet her, and she hugged them. 

“I like your hat, Auntie Wanda,” he heard the girl saying. “Can I wear it?”

“Yes, you may,” said Wanda, taking off her hat and putting it on the girl’s head. The girl was delighted--but then she threw the hat on the ground when she saw Clint Barton. She and her brother went running to him. Clint scooped them both up in his arms. The girl was crying. Scott and Sam and Wanda had stopped to watch them. Steve and Bucky stayed where they were, not wanting to intrude on the moment.

“Daddy, Auntie Nat’s here,” said the little girl.

“Is she?” said Clint. “When did she get here?”

“She got here a week ago,” said the boy. “She said you went to jail. Did you escape?”

“Yes. I’ll deal with her later,” Barton said, patting the boy’s head. “Where is your mother?”

He had no sooner spoken than the front door opened again. Two women emerged. One of them had long dark hair and was carrying a toddler in her arms. The other had medium-length red hair. They both stopped on the doorstep and surveyed the people gathered in the yard, their eyes coming to rest on Clint.

The dark-haired woman handed the toddler to the redhead. Then she walked off the porch and across the lawn to confront Clint. She was obviously his wife. But who was--?  
Bucky happened to glance up at the redhead at the same time that she was looking down at him. And then he realized: Natasha Romanoff. The Black Widow. What was she doing here, at Clint Barton’s private residence of all places? 

What was more, the Black Widow was less than pleased to see the Winter Soldier. She turned her attention to the toddler and bounced him in her arms while he pointed at his parents on the lawn. Bucky felt like those two seconds of eye contact had scorched his soul, tacky as it sounded. He saw her glance back at him, but then they both turned their attention to Clint Barton when they heard his wife raise her voice. 

“What have you got to say for yourself?”

“Look, Laura--”

“Did you stop to think about what they’d do to you, for siding with Captain America? To us?”

“I figured if the mission succeeded--”

“What mission?”

“Laura, there’s a lot to explain--I’m sorry.” He rested his hands gently on his wife’s shoulders. “I really am.” Laura looked up at Clint, her mouth and eyebrows bent. “I knew you wouldn’t want me to go back, not after officially retiring and all. Cap--Steve needed my help. And they had Wanda locked up at the Avengers’ base. Steve needed all the help he could get. I know you’ve had enough. And I’ve had enough, too. I’m really done for good this time--they took away my bow.”

Laura sighed. “The FBI was here, after your escape. They thought you would come back here.” 

“Are you being watched?”

“The sheriff is keeping a deputy parked on the turnoff road--I don’t know whether to keep them out or us in.”

“That’s not surprising. Stark would have told the authorities about this place--I should never have--”

“Don’t say that.” Laura touched Clint’s cheek. “After you were captured, the neighbors called--they look at me funny when I go to town, Clint. Nick Fury has already contacted me. You may want to call him, too, now that you’re here.”

“What’s he going to do for us?”

“He said he’s working on finding a more permanent place for us. I was going to take the kids and go stay with my sister, but now that you’re here…”

“We’ll figure it out,” said Clint. “Come here.” He held her close to him. Laura hugged him back as he surveyed the farmstead. 

“I suppose we should go inside, and explain everything,” said Clint.

“Yes,” said Laura, looking around. She noticed Wanda and Scott and Sam. She looked behind Clint and saw Steve and Bucky. 

“Mrs. Barton,” Steve nodded to her.

Bucky wasn’t sure how to respond to Clint’s wife. She glanced at him like maybe she knew who he was--like she could tell there was something different with the arm in the sling. But the children hugged both of their parents and took her attention away. 

Bucky looked away when he saw Clint leaning down to kiss his wife. Clint had mentioned that Laura used to work for S.H.I.E.L.D.. And Clint being an Avenger, of course, would have heard about him from Steve. 

But the Bartons were not as big of an issue, he realized when he looked back up at the porch. Natasha Romanoff was still standing there with the baby, watching the rest of the Barton family. 

He’d heard about the Black Widow. He’d nearly killed her--three times, as of a few weeks ago. But he hadn’t been planning on actually meeting her. 

It was going to be bad enough, having to lie low here until they could get to Arizona.

“I think baby Nate wants to see you,” said Laura, leading Clint forward.

“All right--though he doesn’t look like much of a baby anymore, does he?”

Clint walked up to the porch with his family. He turned to look at Wanda, Scott, and Sam. “I suppose you guys can come in, if that’s all right with you, Laura?”

“It’s fine,” said Laura, though not enthusiastically.

Wanda walked up to the porch. The little girl hugged her again. 

When they got up to the porch, Laura took the baby from Natasha and handed him to Clint.

“How’s my big boy?” he said. The toddler started to play with Clint’s face. Then he looked at Natasha.

“How’s it going, Romanoff?”

“So I didn’t hit you that hard?” said Natasha with her arms folded.

“You weren’t even trying,” said Clint. He patted her shoulder and walked into the house. Laura and the baby and the older boy followed them. 

The little girl led Wanda up the porch by the finger. But Wanda stopped when she reached the top of the steps.

Natasha looked at her but didn’t say anything.

“Natasha. I am sorry.”

“For what? You can’t fix any of this now.” 

“I know,” said Wanda. “None of us can. But we have to move forward.”

Natasha paused for a moment.“Go ahead.”

Wanda moved up to the door. The little girl reached up to Natasha’s hand briefly, connecting to both Wanda and Natasha, and then she and Wanda entered.

Sam Wilson came up the porch steps, followed by Scott Lang.

“Aren’t you the Ant guy?” said Natasha, leaning against the door frame and eyeing Scott.

“Yeah--that’s me. I’m the Ant-Man. Well, actually, I’m the Giant-Man now, too. You saw what my suit did, right?”

Natasha was unimpressed by that fact.

“Just cool it, Tic-tac,” said Sam. “How are you, Natasha?”

Natasha sighed. “I’ve been better.” 

Sam didn’t know what to say to that. He and Scott entered the house without another word to her. 

Steve and Bucky crossed the lawn. Bucky halted at the porch steps while Steve climbed up them.

“I take it the escape went well?” said Natasha.

“How do you know about that?” Steve asked, dumbfounded.

Natasha smirked. “How’s Sharon?”

“That was you?”

Natasha shrugged. 

“Natasha--you’ve already done enough for us. You didn’t have to--”

“I didn’t have anything to lose, helping her out,” said Natasha. “Besides, I couldn’t leave Cooper and Lila and Nate’s daddy in prison, could I?”

Steve grinned at her. He patted her shoulder as well, and entered the house.

That left Bucky Barnes standing at the foot of the porch steps, his left fist clenching nervously in its sling and his right hand patting the duffel bag for something to do. Natasha   
Romanoff looked down at him, all amusement gone from her face.

She was wearing a beige jacket over a white blouse, plus skinny jeans and Vans. Her hair had been cut to just below her chin and curled so that it framed her face. She looked down at him like a guard dog, not threatening him but watching him for any sign of trouble. 

He figured he should say something to her. Now he really wished he hadn’t stayed behind but gone in with the others. He could have snuck around her and gotten this over with.  
He glanced around the yard. He was thinking about commenting about the weather, but that would have sounded stupid. “Um...so...did you cut your hair...since the last time I saw you? I’m pretty sure it was longer.” That sounded...slightly less stupid. 

“Yes, I did,” said Natasha. “I’m a wanted criminal--I’ve got to change up my appearance just a little bit. I was thinking about doing something a little more drastic--maybe some other time.” She gave him a bit of a condescending look. “You should consider getting a haircut, if you’re planning on going on the run, you know.”

Bucky laughed nervously and scratched his neck with his good arm. “I’m fine, thanks. I like it just the way it is.”

She gave him a skeptical look. 

Was there anything he could say to her to give her the impression that he was a competent person? That she could trust him?

“Um...can I go in the house now?”

Natasha’s look became more serious. “Why should I let you in?”

“Uh, because...Steve’s in there…” Lame: she knew that he and Steve weren’t getting along that well. 

“How do I know you’re not going to go beserk and hurt anyone?”

Bucky took a step back. “Now, look. That was one time, okay? Zemo found a way to trigger my programming. There’s a specific way to do that--there’s no way I’d go completely...haywire at random.” Okay, that was partially a lie. There were times he felt like he would go off for no reason. No trigger words necessary. 

But this wasn’t one of those times. He was feeling all right today. He only needed to go into the house to be with Steve while he talked to Mrs. Barton and Natasha. He could take care of himself. 

“I promise. I’m not going to hurt anyone,” he said. “I don’t want to. I know you have good reason to be afraid of me--”

“Very good reason,” Natasha said to him darkly.

It made sense to Bucky why she would be so protective. She was the auntie to those little kids--she didn’t want anything to happen to them. She didn’t even want to risk anything happening to them. Hillary Tanner had nieces and nephews, too--she would do the same for them, if Bucky were a total stranger to her.

“Clint Barton is a friend of Steve’s. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt him or his family. Or you.”

“You killed fifteen people in Berlin.”

“That wasn’t my fault, okay?” He cussed quietly. “Just let me in.”

“I could do this all day,” said Natasha, leaning against one of the supports of the porch. 

“Natasha!” came a shout from inside the house.

“What do you want, Rogers?”

“He’s okay! Just let him in!” Steve popped up in the doorway behind her for a moment and gave her a pleading look. “Please.”

Natasha sighed. She stood to one side of the steps. Bucky climbed up.

“Thank you,” he told her, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Natasha wasn’t looking at him when he entered the house. She stayed out on the porch until he was in the living room, and then she went inside and closed the door.

Bucky didn’t have long to look around in the entryway of the farmhouse when Clint called to him from the crowded living room. 

“Barnes, I think you’ll want to be a part of this discussion,” said Clint, gesturing for him to join. There were two empty spots on the sagging couch next to Sam. Bucky took the end spot and Steve squeezed in between him and Sam. Chairs had been brought in from the kitchen. Scott was sitting on one, and Wanda another. Wanda was chatting with the little girl, and the boy was standing behind Clint.

“Dad, do you need us to go now?” the boy asked.

“You can stay here, Cooper,” said Clint.

“Clint, you don’t need to--” Laura began.

“Laura, I think they have a right to know what happened.” Clint sighed. “Where to begin?”

“How about Berlin?” said Natasha, looking at Steve and Bucky from across the living room. She was standing up. “Steve says you were ‘triggered’, Barnes. Care to explain?” She was staring at him intently. Bucky only wanted to wither.

“Zemo found a notebook with Hydra’s instructions on how to treat the Asset,” said Steve. 

“There were ten words, in Russian,” Bucky began, “that the Soviets used to trigger my programming. They only had to be said in the right order when I was tied to a chair, and--nothing I could do.” Bucky had to try very hard to ignore the notion that he could have attempted something to keep Zemo from controlling him.

Then Clint spoke. “So your capture in Romania, then? Framing you for the bombing in Vienna? It was all a ruse to get you?”

“Yes.”

“Nonsense. What did he want?” said Natasha.

“We thought he wanted to go after Hydra’s other super-soldiers,” said Bucky. 

“But why go after you if he could get the rest?” said Sam.

“The rest were dead,” said Bucky. “He only wanted the mission report. December 16, 1991.”

“He said he wanted to see an empire fall,” said Steve. “But that was just a cryptic way of saying that he wanted revenge. He did make it sound like he was going to raise an army to conquer the world.”

Natasha watched them. “So that’s what you thought he was doing.”

“That’s what Bucky thought.”

“How come?”

“We’ll get to that,” said Steve.

“So you called for Clint to join you in Leipzig, then,” said Natasha. She looked at Clint.

“I got the call the day after the Berlin attack. I was in Louisville, shopping for a hunting bow.”

Laura looked at him. “You said that you’d gotten a call from your friends Terry and Abram saying they wanted to take you--”

“Water-skiing, yes,” Clint nodded. “I take it you called them right after called you.”

Laura sighed. She rubbed Clint’s shoulder with one hand. “I wanted to take your word for it, honey. But I’d been listening to the news. I figured it might have something to do with it. But I assumed that you were going to go help Steve protect Barnes from the authorities.”

“Everyone assumed that,” said Natasha.

“But that was not the case,” Wanda spoke up. Natasha looked at her coldly. “Sorry. I should not have spoken.”

“Not that I would have minded, kid,” said Clint, smirking in Bucky’s direction. “So, Leipzig. I picked up Wanda and Scott on the way. I just took Steve’s word for it. Didn’t you, Wanda?”

“Yes, I did,” said Wanda. “I’d been watching the news from the Avengers base. I didn’t believe anything they were saying about Bucky--I knew Steve was only protecting him, and there had to be something else going on. As soon as you showed up I knew I’d been right.”

Bucky sighed quietly. Just how many people had fallen for the bait?

“So after Leipzig, Captain, you and Barnes escaped,” said Laura. “Where did you go to?”

“Siberia,” said Steve. “The place where they used to keep the Winter Soldier--it’s literally on the edge of the world. We found Zemo waiting for us there. And Stark came right after us.”

“Tony Stark?” Laura scrunched her eyebrows. 

“Stark came to the Raft and told us that he’d found out that Barnes was framed,” said Sam. He was fighting back some very choice swear words about Zemo and Stark. “That...punk Zemo timed it just right. The authorities found the body of the psychologist who was supposed to come for Barnes in Berlin--found him dead in a bathroom after they arrested us--it was too late to change anything. Zemo wanted Cap and Stark all to himself.”

“He knew Stark would come after us and try to make amends,” said Steve. “Fat lot of good that did. Zemo...the coward.” Steve stared at the floor, his eyes burning with rage. “He only wanted revenge. He set out to do what Loki and Ultron both failed in doing, and he succeeded.”

“Succeeded in what?” asked Natasha.

“Destroying the Avengers.”

The room fell silent. 

“What did he do?” Natasha asked, her face still skeptical.

Steve sighed. “As soon as Stark and I were in the main room, he played a videotape for us. It was the night that Howard and Maria Stark were killed.” He looked up at Natasha. “By the Winter Soldier.”

Natasha stared at Steve, dumbfounded. She glanced at Bucky, and he looked down--away, anywhere but at the look of shock on her face.

“We knew it was Hydra, Steve,” said Natasha. “But--”

“It was him,” said Steve.

“It was me,” said Bucky, his face flushing hot when he looked up. Wanda flinched at the sound of his voice. “They had the whole thing recorded on tape. That was the mission report Zemo wanted. We’d thought, that because Howard Stark had been experimenting with a super-soldier formula, that I was sent to retrieve, that Zemo was after the other enhanced that Hydra had created.”

“He didn’t!” said Natasha.

“Who didn’t?” Steve said.

“Stark--Stark’s father--try to create another super-soldier formula.”

“That was years before Banner tried his own experiment, Nat,” said Steve. “Stark was there when they created me, for heaven’s sake. He would have gotten pretty close to the original formula.”

“But it was never on S.H.I.E.L.D.’s records.”

“That was the way he wanted it to be. But Hydra found out about it. It was Hydra’s doing, Nat. The Winter Soldier was their puppet. I thought you knew that.”

Scott Lang raised a hand. “If I may comment, Stark experimenting with super-soldier stuff isn’t surprising. Hank Pym says he tried to recreate the Pym particle.”

Everyone looked at Scott. Scott scooted his chair away from the circle. “I’ll shut up, now.”

“You don’t say,” said Steve. “To continue, though, what Zemo was really after was the tape.”

“How did he get a videotape of Barnes killing Howard Stark?” asked Laura.

“Hydra would set camera traps on the target’s intended route, to make sure the Asset did his job.” He looked at Natasha. “It was in that file you gave me.”

“I didn’t read it, remember?” said Natasha.

“But, the point is, in spite of his strained relationship with his parents, Zemo knew that Tony Stark still felt guilty about their deaths.” Steve swallowed. “And he knew that if Bucky was in danger, I would stop at nothing to protect him.”

Kind of dumb of you, actually, Bucky reflected, but he kept that thought to himself. Look where that’s gotten us.

Steve sighed. “I should have seen that coming from Berlin. I had no idea, of course, that Zemo would go after Stark, too--I had no idea that that was what he was trying to do.”

“Was there any way you could have found out before you went to Siberia?” asked Sam.

“Stark came and talked to you on the Raft--”

“Yes, he’d already found out by then. He had the proof.”

“But if he’d believed us all along--”

“That still wouldn’t have changed his mind about his parents’ deaths, Rogers. You done messed up, not telling him that you knew it was Hydra.”

“I’ve already apologized to him for that, thank you,” said Steve. 

Bucky couldn’t take it anymore. He got up out of his seat. Steve moved to follow him from the couch, but Sam grabbed his arm to restrain him. 

Steve collected himself. “But the point is, no one is entirely at fault here. Not one of us. We all share the blame. But Zemo can take all the blame for starting it. We were manipulated into fighting each other.”

“We were deceived by a lie,” Wanda said thoughtfully. 

“I think it’s starting to make sense, but let me get this straight,” said Clint. “Barnes was framed in Vienna, captured in Bucharest, and triggered in Berlin, just so Zemo could show Stark the video and make you two fight each other? Was that it?”

Steve looked uncomfortable to admit it, but he did it anyway. “Well...yeah. If you’re counting on the worst in human nature, it should work, right?”

Clint scratched his chin. “Dang...makes me wonder what his backup plan was. Well, Laura, Natasha?”

Laura sighed. “I still have a hard time believing that Zemo wasn’t really up to something more complicated than that.”

“Well, the people with bigger agendas are more likely to fail,” said Natasha, shrugging and resting a hand on the back of an unused chair.

“Zemo was from Sokovia,” said Steve. “His family--his family was killed in Ultron’s attack. A lot of people, who were affected by what happened, most of them just try to get laws passed, keep the Avengers from doing anything they don’t want. Zemo just wanted us out of the picture completely.”

“You’re still alive, though,” said Natasha. “And so is Stark. So nobody won this thing, then, is the long and short of it. But what did we lose? The Avengers? Are we really finished, Cap?”

“No,” Steve answered her slowly. “Not yet.”

“So then how did you get here?”

“An old friend of ours gave us a lift,” said Clint. “You know--that one guy with a police box. We met him in Budapest.”

Natasha had no verbal response to that.

“The Doctor--seriously, Clint?” said Laura.

“We’re being serious,” said Clint. Natasha sat down in the empty chair to listen. Steve explained how T’challa and the Doctor had found him and Bucky in Siberia and taken them to the TARDIS. Steve also informed Natasha that the Doctor had already brought Sharon Carter on board, and that she and the Doctor and T’challa had assisted in the prison escape.

“Well, that’s impressive. I wasn’t sure how you were going to pull it off,” said Natasha. “She called me right before I got here. But, of course, I don’t believe for a minute that the Doctor was helping you out just to show some generosity. What did he want from you guys?”

“He told us about what Hydra is really up to. Zemo was working alone. Hydra’s Resurgence is taking place in Arizona,” said Steve. “I was going to ask you, about that.”

Now Natasha looked really surprised. “Did he tell you about the bombings yesterday, in Mesa?”

“He told us that Hydra had a number of attacks planned, yes. He can’t stop them from happening--fixed point in time, he says. But he needs whoever he can get--specifically anyone who’s friends with the Tanner family--to go down there and help S.H.I.E.L.D. out. And he thought that Bucky might take a personal interest.”

“I haven’t heard anything from S.H.I.E.L.D. down there,” said Natasha. “Of course I’ve been off the radar, but I did hear secondhand from Fury that Coulson is down there. Agent Tanner will be doing everything to stop Hydra down there.”

“I’ve heard about the bombings, too,” said Laura. “Fifty people killed. They blew up a bus and a bank. It’s not surprising, really, with the Avengers gone or in prison.” 

“What do they need us for?” asked Natasha.

“They need some muscle, the Doctor says. He says that next week--this is a Fixed Point in Time as well--S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra will be having a big battle. S.H.I.E.L.D. will have a lot of help from the local law enforcement--but they’ll have heavy casualties. They won’t be able to fight Hydra on their own after that.”

“Well, that sounds like a good reason to go, get down to Arizona and make sure Hydra doesn’t make a mess of things,” said Natasha. “Are all of you going?”

“Bucky says he’s going,” said Steve. “I’m going with him. Sam’s tagging along.”

“I’m with them too,” said Wanda.

“Wanda, you don’t have to come with us,” said Steve. “This isn’t your fight.”

“This is my fight,” Wanda answered him firmly. Lila was looking up at her. Wanda patted her on the head consolingly. 

“But anyway, so it’s the four of us, and Scott wants to get back to California.”

Natasha looked around the room. “Your escape from the Raft wasn’t that highly publicized, you know--I’ll bet Stark and Ross paid the media to shut it up. But they’ll still be looking for you.”

“Well, maybe you can help us keep from getting caught.” said Steve.

Natasha sniffed. “Baseball caps and sunglasses will only get you so far.”

“Well, we can go to town and get fake IDs and stuff, right?”

“How soon do you plan on leaving for Arizona?”

“Next Wednesday.”

“If you wanted good IDs, you’d need more time to get them done right,” said Natasha. “There’s no way all of you going into town or traveling together won’t look suspicious. Do you think you can just throw together a road trip for four wanted criminals?”

“I was hoping we could stay here for a few days and plan things out, get some supplies--is that okay with you, Mrs. Barton?”

“Call me Laura, Captain. And yes, you can stay here for as long as you need to. I’m not sure when Fury will have a new place ready for us.”

“How long are you staying here, Nat?” asked Steve.

“I was hoping to stay until Laura got things figured out. But if we’re having more houseguests I suppose I can go.”

“No, Auntie Nat! Don’t go!” said Lila.

“You just got here,” said Cooper darkly.

“Well, do you have everything figured out for where you’re going yet?” asked Steve.

“I still have some more work to do on that,” said Natasha. “I know better than to just let you blunder into this, though, Rogers.” She rubbed her eyelids.

“Do you expect something in return?”

Natasha shook her head. “You don’t have anything to offer me, Rogers. Just pay it forward sometime.”

“Okay,” Steve said, smirking. “What do we need?”

“Well, what do you think you need?” 

“More clothes, for starters. The Doctor let us take three days’ worth of clothes but it won’t be enough for however long we’re staying here, I don’t think. I doubt the TSA will let any of us near an airplane ever again, so how about a car, so we can drive to Arizona.”

“With working air conditioning,” Sam added.

“Working air conditioning, yes, that’s important,” said Steve. “And so we can do paperwork on it, fake IDs. We don’t need much.”

“But that’s still going to require a lot of work to get our hands on,” said Natasha. “How soon do you need to be in Arizona?”

“The Doctor said the best time to get there would be next Friday afternoon. How long should it take to get there, do you think? Two days, three?”

“Two days if you push it,” said Clint. “Trust me, you’ll want to do it in three.”

“And that’ll require hotel rooms and gas money, which would make things even more complicated for you,” said Laura. “We don’t exactly have that much money to share right now. Clint’s bank account got frozen.”

“I can get to the bank account I have in Edmonton,” said Clint. 

“How much is in it?” asked Laura.

“Dunno. I actually haven’t put money in that for a while.”

“You don’t have to give us anything,” said Steve. 

“Well, how about me?” asked Scott. “I need a ride out to California. I could get a car and drive you guys out there, drop you off.”

“If you’re trying to get to San Francisco, then Mesa is a little out of your way,” said Steve. 

“Okay. Not a problem. If it’s smarter to split up, then, I can go by myself. Take the Grayhound, if I have to.”

“You’ll probably need a fake ID too, Lang,” said Natasha. “We can’t go through S.H.I.E.L.D. anymore. Doing it on my own will take until Tuesday--if you’re trying to get out of here by Wednesday, that’s cutting it real close.”

“Well, if there isn’t any way to expedite the process, then we can wait,” said Steve. “I’ll talk to Bucky about it.”

“But it sounds to me like the sooner you guys get out of here, the better,” said Clint. “What day is it today, anyway?”

“Friday,” said Laura. “You need to be in Arizona in a week.”

Steve groaned. “Not as much time as I would’ve liked.”

Natasha shook her head. “Steve, I don’t know if this whole going to Arizona thing is a good idea. In fact, I’m not sure the Doctor had anyone’s best interests in mind when he suggested that. If the Authorities know about Bucky’s connection to the Tanners, they’ll be waiting for him there. Even before you got to Arizona, there’s too many things that could go wrong. It’s way too huge a risk.”

“We have to take it if we want to help S.H.I.E.L.D. stop Hydra.”

“So just give Hydra a break, then!” said Natasha. Everyone looked at her like she’d just said a disgusting swearword. “The CIA will be on top of Hydra soon enough. And they’ll be expecting YOU--Captain America--to walk right into it. For all we know, this is a trap. So don’t take the bait. Split up, go to different parts of the country or just leave the States altogether. You’re not doing this whole undercover thing right, any of you. If you’re going out in public, then don’t do anything that will help them recognize you. Get different haircuts, grow some facial hair--I always thought you’d look nice with a beard, Steve.”

“No,” said Steve firmly.

Wanda suppressed a chuckle and it came out sounding more like a snort. Natasha looked at her. 

“And Hydra’s probably waiting for Barnes down there. If Hydra knows how to trigger his programming, like Zemo did, then this is a really bad idea. I know that isn’t what you want to hear.”

“It’s worth the risk to him,” said Steve. “And it’ll be worth it to me.”

“Does he think that?” said Natasha. “Does he want you to go with him? Where is he?”

Steve glanced out of the living room. “I dunno. So let’s make a list of this stuff, as well as food. You’ll probably want to get some more groceries if you’re letting us stay here, Laura. I can pay you back later on--”

“That won’t be necessary, Captain,” Laura answered.

“Just call him Steve,” said Clint gently.

“Steve, well, anyway, I’m more than glad to feed you while you’re staying with us.”

“But the CIA is watching you, Laura, just pointing that out,” said Natasha.

“I know,” said Laura. 

“They have security cams and tracking on your cards. They’ll know you have company. And they’ll know if you’re using one of your fake accounts, Clint.”

“It’ll buy us some time,” said Clint. 

“And how do you expect to get past the sheriff’s deputy parked on your driveway, Barton? Technically the only people who can come and go from here freely are Laura and her cousin June.”

“Who is Cousin June?” asked Steve.

“Me.”

“Well, that’s not too difficult a fix,” said Clint. “I’ll take the tractor and dig a way to the back road. Been wanting to do that for a while anyway. We’ll go shopping in Edmonton and not Bradford. None of this is a permanent fix, Nat.”

Natasha shook her head. “That’s really gonna hurt the resale value on your property, Barton. I can’t promise that anything I do to help you guys out will work.”

“Natasha, we really do appreciate this,” said Steve. 

Natasha looked at him. “Your funeral, Rogers.”

 

Bucky was hiding in the upstairs bathroom, curled up between the toilet and the tub. He couldn’t get the image from Hydra’s video out of his head--and it made him remember that night when he’d murdered the Starks.

“Sergeant...Barnes...don’t...do...this…”

“Howard...Howard…”

“Mission report...mission report…”

Complete the mission...complete the mission...complete the mission…

That was the part that hurt him the most: the force driving him in his brain that Hydra had planted there to hurt the man and woman as brutally as possible, to kill them and leave them. He looked down at his hands and thought he could still see the blood on them, even though the metal arm he had now was a replacement...it wasn’t a replacement at all, he realized.

Snippets of the memory he had brushed across in the forest became more clear, and then voices talking: his own, and Steve’s.

“The Howard Stark?...You’ll have to introduce me so I can thank him personally…”

There was a memory of flashing lights, music on a spring evening at an open-air festival, an explosion as a floating car crashed onto a stage, a mustached man shrugging it off...  
And then he remembered something else, an underground bunker somewhere, an office space with phones ringing and maps on the walls...shaking hands with a man with dark hair and a mustache.

“I just wanted to thank you for bringing Steve to come and rescue me--and my men of course, and the other prisoners who escaped there.”

“Don’t worry about it, Barnes. I’d do anything for Captain Rogers. And it seems like he has good taste in friends.” The elder Stark patted him on the shoulder, then winked to one side. He remembered glancing at a haughty brunette standing in the corner…

Then back to the bunker in Siberia, watching the tape...Tony Stark’s almost emotionless reaction...then being strangled in the arms of the Iron Man suit…

“Do you even remember them?”

“I remember all of them…”

He hadn’t cried this hard since he’d lost Grace. He hadn’t let himself. But he couldn’t keep it in anymore. And he didn’t want anyone else to see him. He felt like he was drowning, drowning in his own feelings, in a past that he couldn’t erase.

Howard Stark saved my life...he saved my life, and I killed him. I killed him and his wife, I took them away from their son...I killed him...I killed him. He saved my life, and Tony knew it. He had every right to hurt me…

He wiped his face on his sleeve. If Steve were here, he would have said that it was Hydra’s fault, that they had sent the Winter Soldier to kill Howard. It hadn’t been his choice.  
Why did he feel like that didn’t change anything?

Then he remembered something else. Being in Arizona last March, talking to Hillary as she was being overwhelmed with her own guilt. Her problems weren’t anywhere near as big as his were. But she blamed herself for things that other people, including himself, said were beyond her control. 

“I thought you’d be safe here too...If there’s anyone to blame here, it’s me.”

“Oh, no, don’t get hopeless on me,” he had told her. He breathed slowly, remembering how it felt to be close to a friend. “I’m here for you.”

It was like talking to himself--maybe a piece of his past self reaching out to him across the years, or maybe a bit of what Hillary would have said if she were here, giving him the same encouragement he had once given her. 

He thought for a moment. Hillary was in trouble right now. Hydra’s Resurgence was growing out of control and Hillary and her friends at S.H.I.E.L.D. were under-equipped to meet the threat. He wanted to be there for her, at the very least to comfort her.

But he wasn’t going to be much good to anybody else if he couldn’t take care of himself, would he?

No one would blame him for giving up. Not even Hillary. Strangely enough, knowing that gave him the strength to want to keep going. 

He still needed some time to collect himself, though. He stayed upstairs in the bathroom and sat on the cold floor, thinking. Hoping.

 

Wanda Maximoff was about to go upstairs to let Natasha show her to their guest room. But then she felt it: that weight of grief and sadness that someone hiding upstairs was dealing with. She had to stop at the foot of the railing for a second. It was strange, feeling it from someone else. And it was so intense.

She put it in the back of her mind and went upstairs. She put her bag on the bed. Natasha knocked on the bathroom door but no one answered. She couldn’t unlock it, though.

“So are you still going to sleep up here tonight, Natasha?” Wanda asked her.

Natasha turned and looked at her. “I’m not sure,” she said. She knocked on the bathroom door again. “Hey. Laura’s making food,” she addressed the bathroom door. “Steve says you need to eat. You’ll have to come downstairs and get it.”

The person on the other side of the door only wanted to be left alone.

“He’ll come out when he’s ready,” said Wanda.

Natasha humphed. People had been saying for the last two years that Bucky would let himself be found when he was ready, but such had proven to not be the case. They went downstairs, Natasha walking coolly down the wooden steps ahead of Wanda, Wanda going slowly, contemplatively. 

Laura was serving a late lunch/early dinner for the new arrivals, just sandwiches. They were in the middle of eating in the kitchen when Bucky came back downstairs. 

“There you are,” said Clint. “You all right?”

“Yeah,” said Bucky, obviously not wanting to speak more than necessary.

“Come and get something to eat,” said Steve around a mouthful of ham and lettuce.

“I’m not hungry,” said Bucky. He saw Wanda looking at him and she looked down almost at once. He turned around to see Natasha watching him, angry and suspicious. He turned again and headed for the front door. He was out and across the porch in seconds. The afternoon light was starting to fade--how long had the group downstairs been talking? He didn’t know. He didn’t care. He went out for a walk by himself, out towards the barn, then up to the fence by the top of the hill. There was a good view of the afternoon sun there.

 

A half an hour or so after their light dinner, Steve went out to the front porch. Bucky was sitting on the steps, staring at the woods across the valley that they had come from earlier in the day. He looked up when he heard Steve.

“Mind if I join you?” Steve asked.

“Go ahead,” said Bucky, looking away. He scooted to the side of the steps to make room for Steve.

“Thanks,” said Steve warmly. Bucky didn’t comment. They both ended up staring into space, each lost in their own thoughts, both aware of the disconnection between them.

It was Bucky who finally spoke. “Steve?”

“Uh-huh?”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner that it was Zemo’s plan all along to get you and Tony to fight each other?”

Steve shook his head. “I...guess I was too busy looking after you. Just trying to make sure you were all right. I guess we were all too worked up at the moment to realize Zemo was manipulating us.”

“Right...If Stark’s anything like his father, he’s a smart guy. He would have stopped to think.”

“Well...he hasn’t always had the best judgment, since I’ve known him,” said Steve. “And he’s just been in an emotionally bad place since Sokovia. Before then, even.” Bucky could hear the disappointment in Steve’s voice. He had admired Tony Stark, respected him in spite of his flaws--regarded him highly because of his father. This was painful for Steve, too. Bucky wasn’t ready to let his guard down to give Steve any sympathy, though. He didn’t know if Steve could handle his problems.

Steve looked at Bucky. “I hope you understand that I don’t blame him, though. I don’t blame you, either. Hydra used you to get what they wanted, back in the day. Zemo did the same thing.”

“It’s still hard for me to get my head around that,” said Bucky. 

“But you’re wanting to?”

“Yeah, I suppose I’ll have to, if we’ve got a job to do. I’ve had bad days like this before, when I lived with the Tanners. I made it through all of them, you know. Who’s to say I can’t do it again?” 

Steve smiled slowly. Bucky could only give him a half a smile back. 

“Besides, this could be my chance to make amends, at least on some matters,” Bucky continued. “Hydra’s in Arizona because of me--”

“No, that’s not true--”

“I’m at least part of the reason they’re there. They’re targeting Hillary because of me, Steve. Before I do anything else, I want to make sure that her family is safe. I’m not doing this for revenge, Steve. I’m doing this to clear my own conscience. If protecting the Tanners means toppling what’s left of Hydra, then so be it.”

“Fair enough,” said Steve. “You’re probably aware of this already, but I’ve spent most of the last couple of years fighting Hydra--”

“Yeah, I know that. It’s been in the news. Plus Hillary kept me informed.” He wasn’t too pleased about that. 

“Well, I’m just saying, if you need my help--”

“I’ve already got your help.”

“I know, but if you need me to do more than just to make sure that you get to Arizona all right--”

“More likely than not, yeah--”

“I mean, not to brag or anything, but I’m kind of an expert on this sort of thing.”

Bucky sniffed. “I know you are. Ever since the first time you rescued me from Hydra, back in the day, that’s all you’ve been doing.”

“Do you remember that now?”

“Bits and pieces of it,” said Bucky. “I remember there were a lot of other guys in there with me, and you got them out first. But I was somewhere else, and you went looking for me.”

Steve laughed. “Yes, I did. Kind of a big surprise for you. I mean, that was the first time you’d seen me since I’d gotten the serum treatment.”

“Really? Was I surprised?”

“You thought you were dreaming.”

Bucky laughed. “That’s actually kind of funny. You must’ve gotten a big kick out of it.”

“I did later,” said Steve, folding his hands together. “I was more concerned about getting you out. But I did explain things later.”

“Yeah. That you did.”

They both fell silent. Bucky caught Steve looking at him with something like longing.

“What?”

Steve sighed. “We almost didn’t make it that time. There were plenty of close calls. I thought we’d seen the worst of it then. But we were just getting started. Even two years ago, when I found out Hydra had you...even a few days ago, I thought for sure.”

“What if you had lost me, though?”

Steve shook his head. “I know that, the first time, if you’d turned up dead, or if you hadn’t turned up at all, I would have made Hydra pay for it. Of course, when you fell of the train, I did make them pay for it.”

“Yeah. No kidding. They remembered it.” Bucky stared off into the distance again. “Even if I didn’t.”

“Of course,” Steve added, “a small part of the reason I went and rescued you was because I knew that if I ever made it back to Brooklyn, and you weren’t with me or there waiting for me, I would never have been able to face your family. Your real one, Bucky. Do you remember them?”

He would have been lying to say he didn’t. “Not really,” said Bucky. “Images. Jo Tanner would ask me questions sometimes. I couldn’t answer her.” He looked at Steve. “You knew them?”

“I did. My mom died a few years before the war. Even before then, your mom and my mom were friends. Your dad looked after me. You made sure your siblings played nice with me. I was a part of your family, Buck. How could I forget them?”

“That’s nice.” Bucky looked away. “So how about the Tanners, then? What do we say to them when we show up?”

“We’ll just tell them the truth,” said Steve. 

“Chances are they’ve been watching the news, Steve. And Hillary’s probably kept them informed. Who’s to say that they’re not convinced that I’m a deranged murderer like the rest of the world is?”

“Bucky, they found out that you were innocent. The CIA found the proof that it was Zemo.”

“And how well publicized was that?”

“I’m not sure. But we called Hillary and told her. I’m pretty sure she believed us.”

Bucky had to think for a moment for a counterargument to that. “Well would the rest of her family have taken her word for it?”

“Well...I did go and visit them last December, right before Christmas. They love you a lot. I don’t think anything that’s happened in the last few weeks would have been enough to change that.”

“Well, Steve, we just don’t know for sure, all right? We’ll have to wait and see when we get there.”

“Yes, we will. But for right now you just have to hope for the best.”

“A part of me would like to, Steve. I wish I could. But we have to face facts. What if they don’t want me anymore? Where do we go then?”

“Gee...it’ll depend on how much money we have after the trip and how soon we can ask S.H.I.E.L.D. to help us out.”

“And if the Tanners do help us, do we ask them to take all of us in?”

“Now you’re asking the hard questions,” said Steve with a smile. “I think I’d just as soon not ask them to let us crash at their place if we can avoid it. We could stop and say hi and then go find a hotel, is what I’d like. Most likely, we won’t have money to put down on a decent apartment when we get there, and it could probably take some time to come up with that. And even if Coulson and Hillary were willing to help us, it would take pulling some serious strings to get a housing stipend for us--we’re all outlaws, remember?”

Bucky groaned. “I’m getting a headache.”

“It’s a lot to think about, I know. We can talk it over with the others. We really need to just sit down and see how much we have and plan out what we’re going to do.”

“Do we have to do that tonight?”

“No. It can wait. Clint will go to town here in a day or two. If he can get into his bank account, we’ll know how much money he can give us. We’re not going to ask him for more than we need.”

“I know. I just hate having to ask him for help at all,” said Bucky. “I think the Doctor kind of shortchanged us, dropping us in on Barton family. I feel bad asking Clint to help us out when he’s got kids to take care of. It’s really inconvenient for them, isn’t it?”

“Well, maybe the Doctor knows a little better what’s going on,” said Steve. “You know him better than I do, don’t you?”

“Actually, I don’t know him that well at all. So your guess is as good as mine.”

They stayed on the porch for a while and sat, watching the evening clouds and the sun setting over the trees. Sometimes they would talk quietly, Bucky mentioning here and there some of his more noteworthy experiences of being transient and Steve talking about the different places he’d lived since coming off the ice. 

 

Clint was in the living room, watching Steve and Bucky on the porch through the window. Sam and Scott were upstairs, and Natasha and Wanda were with the children. Laura was in the kitchen, finishing off the dishes from their meal earlier. She had excused Clint from helping, since he said he needed some time to think. When she was done, she dried her hands on a towel and came to join Clint in the living room. She saw that he was looking out at their guests on the porch.

“So that’s his long-lost friend, that you’ve told me about?” said Laura. 

“Yeah, that’s him. I’ve gotten to know him a little. He’s not so bad,” said Clint.

“Is that all?”

“Remember what I told you about? When Loki took over my mind?”

“Yes,” said Laura quietly. 

Clint shook his head. “This kid’s spent the last seventy years having his mind controlled. Only a million times worse than me.”

“It’s hard not to feel bad for him,” said Laura. She leaned her head onto Clint’s shoulder and rubbed his arms tenderly. 

“Yeah…” Clint hesitated, and then he added, “If he wasn’t already planning on heading somewhere else I’d offer to let him stay with us.”

“You would?” Laura said, straightening up.

“Yes,” said Clint, looking at her. “But, considering that we’re in the same boat now, I’m not going to. But I’d like to, if I could. He doesn’t want to be anywhere near Steve--he doesn’t remember him that well. He needs more time to get things straightened out.” It went unsaid that their little farm was a nice place to get away from things for just about anyone, but the fact that they would be soon leaving it canceled that option.

“We can’t give him everything,” said Laura. “Really, helping them to get to Arizona is the most we can do. We probably can’t do more, if there’s not much left in your other bank accounts.”

“Yeah. There’s a lot of what-ifs.”

“So Wanda says she’s going to Arizona with them.”

“Yeah. She says she is. I really think she shouldn’t.”

“Why not?”

“She’s...still young. She’s still figuring things out for herself, too. And if she’s on the world’s most wanted list now, then she won’t be able to do it alone. I’d rather have her where I can keep an eye on her.”

Clint turned around to look at Laura. Laura sighed. 

“We can’t take any of them with us,” she told him. “You heard what Natasha said, it’s too great of a risk if we stay together.”

“And yet there’s four going down to Arizona next week. You think they won’t make it?”

“Oh, I think they will,” said Laura. “They’re needed down there. I think they can do it.”

Clint sniffed. “Bunch of idiots. Cap’s the worst of the lot. Wilson thinks he’s the mom friend but if Steve ever gets up to any bullcrap he goes right along with it. And Barnes...he’s just a disaster waiting to happen. He can’t go out there again. We can’t let Wanda go with them.”

“It’s her choice, Clint,” said Laura. “You have to let her make it. It’s the same with Barnes.” She turned Clint to face her. “Look, I know you don’t want to hear this, but it would actually be better for Wanda if she didn’t stay with us. We already have our own problems to deal with. We can’t take care of her, too. Wherever we go on the run it’d just be harder for her. She needs to be able to take care of herself. So let her.” She took Clint’s hands gently. “I just want it to be you and me for awhile, at least while we’re getting things going. Our kids need us both to be there for them.” She looked up at Clint. Clint looked down at her tenderly--he had thought he would never see her again. And he never wanted to be separated from her again--not until he knew they were going to be all right without him.

“I’ll talk to Wanda about it, then,” said Clint. “At least to make sure she knows what she’s getting into.”

“That sounds like a good idea.”

Laura rested her head on Clint’s chest, and he stroked her hair. 

 

After the sun went down, the Bartons’ guests had to decide on where to sleep for the night. Lila was willing to give up her room and sleep with Baby Nate. Sam took the bed and Clint brought up a cot for Scott. Clint wasn’t so sure about letting them sleep in his daughter’s bedroom, but Scott reminded him that he had a little girl of his own: it was all right with him.

Clint offered to get Cooper to move out of his room for Steve and Bucky, but Steve insisted that it wouldn’t be necessary. Bucky offered to sleep on the porch. He told Laura and Clint that he didn’t require any bedding, but Laura pulled out a spare mattress and Clint offered to give him a hammock. Bucky took the hammock, and Clint set it up for him on the corner of the porch. Steve set the mattress on the floor of the porch close to the hammock.

Clint and Laura assumed that Wanda and Natasha would be sharing the guest room like they usually did. Wanda knew from reading Natasha’s mind, however, that Natasha was debating sleeping on the couch downstairs.

Wanda hadn’t been expecting to see Natasha today, even if she should have expected it. She felt terrible about what had happened in Leipzig, especially after leaving the Raft. Seeing Natasha made that regret more real. Even though Wanda hadn’t engaged in combat with Natasha that much, it hurt worse that they had been on opposite sides of the conflict than she had for Stark, Rhodes, and Vision combined. 

She was deep in thought as she took a shower. After the incident in Lagos, Wanda had moved to the Avengers base for her own safety--which meant that she and Natasha saw each other less and spoke even less. With the weight of what had happened in Nigeria pulling on both of them, they had drifted apart. Their taking different sides shouldn’t have been surprising. But it meant that, at least for the next few days, Wanda was going to have to bridge that gap between her and Natasha. And it was not going to be easy.

When Wanda got out of the shower, dressed in a pair of Laura’s pajama bottoms and an oversized T-shirt, Natasha was sitting on the bed, facing away from her. She was still wearing her day clothes.

Wanda rubbed her hair within its towel wrap and slowly removed it. She looked out the window, sighing. She wanted to say something but she didn’t know what to say. But Natasha wasn’t going to be the one to speak first.

Slowly, she turned around to face Natasha. Natasha was looking at Wanda. 

“So have you decided where you will sleep tonight?” Wanda asked her.

“I think that’s going to depend on a few things,” Natasha told her quietly.

“Like what?”

Natasha shook her head and looked away. It wasn’t going to be easy for her to open up, either. She had been hurt by the battle--hurt in ways that couldn’t be seen. She had been hurt by Tony Stark’s selfishness--disappointed in a man she had worked so hard to trust. And she was hurt by Steve’s account of what had happened in Siberia. But Steve had hurt her, too. She wasn’t ready to forgive Wanda for supporting Steve’s actions.

“You know...it’s been a while since we’ve really talked,” said Wanda. “I would like to catch up with you. And actually talk to you, you know.”

Natasha continued to look away. Wanda knew that she had hurt Natasha too. Natasha had spent her entire life struggling to find true friends in a world full of betrayers and enemies. She had thought Wanda was one of the people she could count on--and, once again, been disappointed.

“Natasha,” Wanda said, trying to start something. She bit her lip, thinking. “I’m not your enemy in this.”

Natasha turned around slowly to look at her. “Have you ever not been my enemy?”

Wanda tried to move around the bed towards Natasha. “Natasha, I never used my mind powers to control people when this happened. Not even once--”

“Did you only suck up to me because I was nice to you?” Natasha stood up. “Everything I ever did for you--did that even mean anything?”

Wanda had to consider her response. “It meant the world to me,” she told Natasha. “Natasha, please, you did nothing to offend me! It was Stark and Ross! Don’t you believe that?” 

Natasha was angry, and feeling scared and upset at the same time she felt like saying a lot of terrible things. “You--you were always fond of Steve, weren’t you? He was nice to you long before I ever was. And then when he told you about Bucky--oh yes, you took it hook, line, and sinker. You never even--”

“It wasn’t about Bucky! You know that!”

“Then why did you fight for them?”

“Because Steve needed me to help him,” said Wanda firmly. That was her only rationalization, and she needed Natasha to believe it, too.

Natasha didn’t want to attack her. “Well, you’ve probably figured out by now that it didn’t do a lot of good, haven’t you?”

“Yes, I have. But that is why we need to put it past us, now. You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to, Natasha. But I want you to stay.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m sorry about what happened, all right? I didn’t mean for things to go this way. None of us did. I am sorry that I hurt you by my actions.” She paused and added, “I know it’s a lot to ask, but can we still be friends? Please?”

Natasha sighed and paced across the room away from her. 

Wanda felt that she needed to give Natasha a chance to speak for herself. “Are you really that mad at me?”

“No,” said Natasha. “Just disappointed.”

“For choosing the wrong side?”

Natasha took a moment to respond. “Less...for that. More for not...being mature about the position you were in.”

“What do you mean?”

“Tell me,” she said, looking at Wanda and folding her arms, “why did you side with Cap?”

“Because Stark locked me in on base.”

“He was trying to protect you.”

“I admit, I couldn’t see how he was doing that,” said Wanda. “But it’s kind of hard to, if you’re friend suddenly tells you you can’t go out in public unless you sign a contract that you know will treat you unfairly. You knew the Accords weren’t fair, Natasha.”

“There was no way they couldn’t have been changed if you didn’t cooperate, Wanda.”

“There was no way that Secretary Ross or anyone else would have let me go even if I had. You know that. When Steve sent Barton to get me, he was offering me a chance: a chance to make a difference. To show the world that I am good for something! The whole world is afraid of me. I didn’t feel safe, doing what Stark asked. And then having to hide because of who I am--that’s not a life, Natasha! You know that!”

“No--it is life,” said Natasha. “You can’t let yourself go whenever you want something. You have to control yourself. You have to give in to what everybody else wants. And then if you make them happy, they’ll let you have free rein. When it comes down to it, yourself is all you have. But you can’t be yourself if you want to survive. No. No matter what you’re trying to prove, people will never believe you. You have to make them trust you.”

“So is that why you sided with Tony, then?”

“Yes,” Natasha admitted reluctantly. “Because that’s what I’ve always done. But it wasn’t just about me. When I thought about it, I felt like I would rather stop you from doing what you thought you were doing than to let the U.N. incarcerate all of us. You saw what happened when Steve took matters into his own hands. If someone disagrees for you for standing up, they make you pay. I didn’t do it for Stark. I did it for the team. I was trying to keep us together.”

Wanda backed away. “I don’t believe that.”

“Well, what do you think Cap was fighting for?”

“He was fighting for everyone,” said Wanda. “The Accords were going to affect all superhumans, not just the Avengers. He was fighting for Bucky. He was fighting for me. He wanted everyone to be treated fairly.”

Natasha sighed. “An unfair deal was better than no deal at all. The world thinks superhumans could do more harm than good, if they’re not kept in check. And they’re right. Look at what Hydra did with Barnes. Look at Rumlow. Look at me! Either we make bad things happen, or we’re used to make things happen.”

“That was exactly why Steve opposed the Accords in the first place,” said Wanda. “You know what he’s been through better than I do. He could never let anyone in higher authority to tell him what to do unless he could trust them--and he can’t, Natasha.” Wanda was fighting back tears. “You know, in some ways, when you look at it, that is a strength. But this time, I’ll admit, it could be a weakness.”

“And what about you?” asked Natasha.

“I think he was right,” said Wanda. “When Pietro and I volunteered for Strucker’s experiments, we had no idea he was working for Hydra. We agreed with him that the Avengers needed to be stopped, yes, but who knew what else he had planned for us? I learned my lesson. I would not put myself in such a place again.”

“You really take Steve’s word for it that other people can’t be trusted?”

“They haven’t given me a reason to.”

“You haven’t given them a chance.”

“I already did. They don’t want me.”

“They only locked you up because you thought you could get away with going on a wild goose chase with Cap.”

“You heard Steve. You saw what Zemo did to them--to him and to Bucky and to Stark. He needed to be stopped! If we had gone with him--perhaps we could have prevented it, I don’t know.”

“You flatter yourself. Tony has always been sore about his parents’ deaths.”

“That is beside the point. The point is, the world thinks it needs to control me in order to not be afraid of me. But I can take care of myself. I am capable, Natasha.”

“Is that why you’re going to Arizona, then? So you can prove it?”

That hadn’t occurred to Wanda. But she realized that it might be the truth. “I am going to Arizona because it’s my job. Because I am an Avenger. Because there is a situation there that might not be fixed if I don’t do something about it.”

Natasha had to try really hard to not roll her eyes. “The government isn’t going to let you do it.” She sat back down on the bed.

“I’m not worried about the government. I am going to Arizona because there are people I do trust there--people that I can help. Who will let me help them. It is a place where we can make a difference. I thought...I thought that was something you would understand, Natasha.” Wanda sat on the bed and leaned closer to Natasha. “I am sorry, Natasha. I am so sorry. I know I haven’t mastered my powers completely. I’m--still figuring out this whole superhero thing. But I could never be an Avenger if I had to do it someone else’s way. There is no right or wrong way to be a superhero, you know.”

“So you do it Steve’s way, then?”

“I do the best I know how.” Natasha looked away from her. Wanda looked the other direction, sitting on the opposite side of the bed, her arms wrapped around her wet towel.

“I guess, when you think about it,” Wanda said, “that’s what you are doing, too. We are all just doing our best. We just...happen to have conflicting goals. And Natasha, you know that none of this was really our fault. We were manipulated by Zemo.”

“We still had a choice, Wanda. We could have done things differently.” She was thinking of when she had helped Steve and Bucky escape from T’challa. “And maybe things wouldn’t have turned out so badly.”

“You are right. I am sorry for hurting you. I was angry about being locked up. I just wanted to do what I thought was right. Watching the news in Europe from the base--I wanted to help Steve. I knew he was trying to do what he felt was best.”

Wanda waited for Natasha to respond. But then she remembered that Natasha Romanoff never apologized for anything. In the silence, Wanda could read in Natasha’s mind that she was willing to forgive her. But it was going to take some time.

“I only ask for one thing,” Wanda said. “Just be patient.”

Fortunately, Natasha was the patient type. 

“I’m going to need some time, too, to forgive you. To figure things out. But I will.” Laura had told her that earlier.

“So...where are you spending the night?”

Natasha shook her head. “I’ll sleep in here. But I’m probably going to stay up for another little while.”

“That’s all right.” Wanda got up to put her towel back in the bathroom. Natasha stayed sitting on the bed, thinking.

“Say Natasha,” said Wanda. 

“What?” Natasha responded, looking up. 

Wanda crossed the bedroom floor and sat on the bed. “Why don’t you come to Arizona with us?”

“I’ve got my own problems to figure out. I don’t need to be mixed up with you guys.”

“It could be fun, you know. You would still be...Avenging, in a way. You’re friends with Hillary Tanner, she’d be happy to help you out too, you know?”

“I don’t think so,” Natasha said, smirking.

“Come on, where is your sense of adventure?”

“That’s cute, Wanda. You shouldn’t be getting into stuff because you’re adventurous, you know?”

Wanda laughed quietly. But then she said, “Seriously. You should think about it. You could be a big help to us.”

“I’ve got a lot of other options to weigh right now, okay?” Natasha answered. “Just remember, I don’t owe you anything.”

“Okay.” 

But Natasha was definitely going to think about it. 

Wanda decided she would go to bed. Natasha left her, and she laid down to rest. She hadn’t been lying awake for more than half an hour when the bedroom door opened and let in light from the hallway. Natasha changed into pajamas and then pulled down the covers on the left side of the bed. She faced away from Wanda, lost in her own thoughts as she fell asleep.


	8. Catch and Release

Bucky had never slept in a hammock before, at least not as far as he knew, but Steve said he didn’t remember any hammocks being around in Brooklyn or during the war. Bucky had been a little nervous about flipping out of his hammock in the middle of the night due to a nightmare, but he not only slept soundly but he didn’t have any dreams to speak of that night. He’d also been a little worried that Steve wouldn’t be comfortable sleeping on the mattress on the porch, but Steve awoke just as well-rested.

After a breakfast of whatever cereal or oatmeal they could help themselves to (and by the end of the morning it was running low and the Bartons were out of milk), Laura decided to go to town and get food to feed her guests. She assured Clint that she would be paying for it with cash so their expenses would not be tracked. When the men and Wanda were cleaning up in the kitchen, a woman that no one recognized came down the stairs.

“Who are you?” said Steve, glancing at the woman suspiciously. Bucky hid himself a little behind Steve and Sam.

“I’m Laura’s cousin June, remember?” said a reedy southern voice. “Relax, Rogers, it’s me, Natasha. I’m in disguise.”

Steve gave a visible sigh of relief. Bucky was still confused. “Cousin June” had long blonde hair in gorgeous ringlets and a round, heavily makeuped face. 

Wanda didn’t seem to have any trouble recognizing Natasha and walked up to her as she organized a large leather purse. “Can I come with you, Natasha?”

“No, Wanda. We’ve already discussed this.”

Wanda gave a gasp of protest. “I only want to help!”

“Wanda, do you want to make it to Arizona later or not?”

“Are you any different from Stark?”

The disguised Natasha turned to follow Laura out the front door. “Oh, I’m plenty different, if you think about it,” she told her, looking back at her through the doorway.

“You can play with the kids if you want, Wanda,” Laura called to her from the front lawn. 

Wanda gave a defeated sigh and returned to the kitchen.

 

Wanda stayed inside most of the time that Laura and Natasha were gone, watching movies upstairs with Cooper and Lila and playing with baby Nate. The men followed Clint out to the barn and he chatted with them while he worked on his John Deere tractor. It was a hot, humid sort of day, and the dust inside of the barn was enough to turn up more than an occasional sneeze. Clint set Steve and Sam to going through some of his unused tools to sell or throw away when he moved. Scott helped him with the tractor. Bucky watched for a little while. Then as Clint and Scott started throwing around mechanical terms, he asked Clint questions about how the tractor worked.

At one point, Clint looked up at Bucky. “That’s right. Tanner’s dad had you working in his garage. It seems you learned something.”

“Well, heh, I am a little rusty,” Bucky said, shrugging slightly. “But I remember some things. When I was living in Romania I would do odd jobs fixing cars for people. I picked up enough money to pay for the flat they found me in.”

Steve glanced over his shoulder at Bucky from the back wall of the barn. Bucky gave him a nod. 

“C’mere,” said Clint, holding out a wrench, “I’ll let you help out.”

Bucky smiled a little and went over to the tractor, accepting the wrench with his metal hand. Clint showed him the part he wanted fixed and he got to work.

“So how is this different from an automobile, then?” Bucky asked him. Clint explained a few things to him as he worked, guiding him and pointing out the different parts and the fixtures in need of repair.

Scott looked up from the tractor tire he was working on. “So you know how to fix cars and stuff?”

“Yeah,” Bucky said, nodding to him. 

“Where’d you learn?”

“Trey Tanner let me live in his garage when I was in Mesa. He would let me come to the work area sometimes and show me how to fix stuff, let me practice on spare parts. I even fixed up the car for his son Cody. It was nice that I could do more than just take out his trash.” 

Scott glanced over at Steve. “I’m sorry, Cap, who are these Tanner people we keep talking about?”

“Some mutual friends of ours in Mesa,” said Steve dryly. 

Scott shook his head. If there was any drama going on, he would opt to not be part of it.

Once Clint was done with the tractor, he turned on the engine and drove it out, the men clearing the way and holding open the barn door for him. He and Sam attached a scoop and took off for a gap in his fence from where Clint hoped to clear a track to the back road. Steve and Bucky and Scott he set to work sorting through the piles of unused equipment in the yard beside the barn and the house. It was hot, hard work and only took a few minutes for all of them to be soaked in sweat. But they didn’t talk much as they worked. Scott occasionally tried to say something smart to Steve but Steve usually stopped responding after the first few exchanges.

After they’d moved a pile of parts from the side of the barn to the yard, they stopped to rest for a moment when Steve took a long look at the house and the barn and the pastures around it. Something was weighing him down.

“What is it?” Bucky asked him.

Steve gave a quiet sigh. “I’ve known Barton for four years now. But I had no idea about this place until around this time last year. Barton never told me about his family. This place he built for them. And now he’s gonna have to leave it. Because I asked him to help me.”

“That was his choice, Cap,” said Scott with unusual soberness. “He knew the risks. So did I. We came for you anyway.”

“Still,” said Steve. “If the Doctor hadn’t have come...you guys would still be locked up. Without ever seeing your loved ones.” Steve decided to turn back to the barn to start on moving an old plow. But he stopped when he heard Bucky saying his name quietly.

“Hey, Steve.” He looked Steve square in the eye and said, “Do you think I didn’t feel any different, when the Tanners hid me from Hydra last March? You know all about that, right? I’m still having second thoughts about going back to them. But...if we succeed, then everything that could have gone wrong won’t matter.” 

Steve looked at him like he wasn’t sure what to make of the statement. 

“Let’s get back to work.”

The three of them moved the old plow attachment--Steve and Bucky doing the heavy lifting while Scott pushed. They had finished with that when a blue-gray Nissan came ambling up the driveway. Laura Barton was in the front seat and ‘Cousin June’ was driving. Even with her full disguise on, Natasha still wore huge sunglasses.

Steve walked over to the car when they parked, and Bucky and Sam followed. Laura and Natasha got out and started gathering up bags of groceries from the back seat. Steve reached to take a heavy plastic bag from Laura.

“You guys don’t have to help us,” said Laura. “You’ve been working out in the sun all day, haven’t you?” 

“We don’t mind helping,” said Steve. He glanced up at Bucky. Bucky nodded back: the Tanners had used him to carry groceries all the time when he’d lived with them before. 

“You should go inside and find the kids and make them do the heavy lifting on this one,” said Natasha, tossing a curl of her wig over her shoulder. “Where’s Barton?”

“He’s out digging that new driveway to the backroad,” said Steve. Laura went ahead and handed him and Bucky a few bags of groceries, thanking both of them. 

Scott went around to help Natasha carry more groceries. “Thanks, Lang,” she said to him.

“You’re welcome--I’m sorry, who are you?”

“We met at the airport,” said Natasha carelessly as she headed up the porch steps. 

Scott was still clueless.

They carried the groceries inside. Laura called upstairs for her older children. They came down with Wanda following, holding a squirming Baby Nate in her arms. Obediently, Cooper and Lila went and helped get more groceries from out of the car. Steve and Scott made a second trip. 

Bucky helped Laura to unbag the groceries. Natasha removed her wig and deactivated the face-changing mask she was wearing. When Scott returned, he was startled to see her.  
“Wait, who are you and what happened to the other lady?”

“That was me the whole time,” said Natasha. She shoved a box of oats into his hands. “I thought you were smarter than that.”

“I have a master’s in engineering, not spying.”

“Hm, seems you need to catch up, then.”

Steve examined the groceries as they were unsacked. “Say, Laura, these are my favorite,” Steve said, holding up a package of fudge-striped cookies. He then pointed to a package of puffed Cheetos. “And these over here are Sam’s. How did you know what to get for us?”

“I got them for you, actually,” said Natasha. 

“Oh, really? Well, that’s very nice of you, considering--”

“I figured any little thing I could do to make your stay more comfortable--might go a long way.” Natasha shrugged. “I didn’t know what Lang and Barnes liked, though, so I didn’t get any treats for them. You guys can share.” She looked over at Scott and Bucky standing in one corner of the kitchen. “It’s nothing personal.”

“I know,” said Scott.

“For the record, I really like vanilla sandwich cookies,” said Bucky. He didn’t realize how out-of-turn that was until after he said that. Natasha eyed him for a moment. 

“All right. I’ll remember that next time.”

“You don’t have to,” said Bucky. 

“Any particular brand?”

“No, really, it’s fine.” Bucky excused himself to use the downstairs restroom. When he came out, Wanda was bouncing baby Nate in her arms. 

“Pee-yuuu,” said Baby Nate. “Pee-yuuu.” Wanda was saying it back to him, making a game out of it.

“Is his diaper stinky again?” asked Laura.

“I just changed him,” said Wanda. “He really likes saying pee-yuu.”

Natasha was finishing putting up the groceries while Laura was pulling out tuna for sandwiches. Just then, Sam and Clint re-entered the house. Wanda had taken Nate over by the door and handed him over to his daddy.

“How’s my big liddle boy, huh?” said Clint.

“Nate, can you show your daddy the new word you like to say?” said Wanda. “Can you say pee-yuu?”

“Pee-yuu!” Nate cooed loudly. Wanda laughed.

“What’s he sayin’ pee-yuu for?” said Clint. “Is he referring to all the man smell in here?”

“You did just get here, Clint,” said Steve. “The rest of us have washed up.”

Bucky turned his laugh into a poorly-disguised cough and Scott snickered.

“Thanks for that, Rogers,” said Sam.

“You know, Wanda,” said Clint, “if you did go with them to Arizona, you’d have to get used to it. The only woman in a car full of men.”

“I can take care of myself,” said Wanda. “Besides, I think Steve knows what will happen if he doesn’t bathe.”

“Are you threatening me, Maximoff?” Steve said, shaking a butter knife at her.

“Either that or we drive to Phoenix with the windows down.”

Laura laughed. Steve smirked. Bucky noticed Natasha glancing over her shoulder at Wanda. 

Laura made them tuna fish sandwiches for their late lunch. 

“Do you want mayo with yours, Bucky?” she asked him. 

“Mayo’s fine,” he said. “Gosh, I can’t remember the last time I had mayo on anything--it was when I was with the Tanners, probably. Grace didn’t like mayo,” he told Steve.

“Was Grace kind of a health nut?”

“Not in any unusual way. She tended to eat salads and lean meat more than not. Healthy cereals. Went running every morning. But a lot of people don’t like mayo, I’ve noticed.”

Steve nodded and resumed eating his sandwich. Bucky added, “I guess that’s what I liked about Grace. She was normal. A bit of the activist type, but normal.”

“It’s been my experience, there’s no such thing as normal,” Steve told him.

“It’s probably true.”

Laura and Natasha had also brought home a stash of men’s razors, deodorant, and other toiletries as well as some similar items for Wanda. After lunch, the men went back outside to work while Laura took a nap and started fixing dinner. Steve and Sam and Bucky and Scott went to help Barton finish his tractor trail. After this was done, they went back to the house and cleaned up. Laura would have dinner waiting for them as soon as they had all showered. Bucky went to the upstairs one, taking a towel from the linen closet and a change of clothes from his duffel bag with some shaving supplies--he was long overdue for a shave. 

When he got to the bedroom connected with the upstairs bathroom, the door was locked and the shower was already running. He knocked. “Who’s in there?”

“It’s me,” came Sam’s voice over the hiss of the running water.

“Well, don’t take too long!” Bucky told him. “Didn’t Steve tell you the Bartons are limited on hot water?”

“What do you need hot water for, man?”

Bucky shook his head. He went into Natasha and Wanda’s bedroom to wait, sitting on the bed. Wanda came up at one point to put some of her new toiletries in her suitcase. They said hello but didn’t talk much. After about five minutes, Sam was still in the shower. Natasha came up to dig through her suitcase for a change of clothes for dinner.

“Who’s in the shower?” she asked him.

“Wilson,” said Bucky. 

Natasha wrinkled her nose at his body odor and went back downstairs. 

“Wilson! You think you could hurry up in there?”

“I’m almost done!”

However long Sam was taking in the shower, the time passed incredibly slowly. Bucky didn’t like sitting still and waiting for him to come out. He finally heard the shower turn off. He watched the door expectantly, waiting for Sam to emerge. But another minute dragged by and there was nothing.

Bucky got up and pounded on the bathroom door. “Seriously, Wilson! How long does it take for you to get dressed?”

“Stop pounding the door!” Sam snapped. He heard a muffled oath come from the other side. Really, what was Sam doing in there?

“Come on, you’re not the only one who needs to shower!”

There was a hasty rustling of clothes, and then Sam Wilson came out, wearing a clean pair of jeans and a towel draped over his shoulders, the rest of his belongings bundled in his arms.

“I am painfully aware that I’m not the only one who needs to shower,” Sam said in a low growl. “But neither are you. I was only in the shower for five minutes. What is your freaking problem, Barnes?”

“I just want to take a shower, man!”

“The Tanners spoiled you, didn’t they? You’re used to getting your way? Well, let me tell you, I ain’t movin’--”

There were footsteps from the hall as Scott Lang entered, carrying his own razor. “Steve and Barton are using the bathroom downstairs--it’s a whole lot smaller than the one up here. Mind if I--what’s happening?” Scott looked from one to the other in alarm.

“Don’t mind us,” said Sam, glancing only at him briefly before returning his attention to Bucky. “Listen, I told Cap I’d help him find you. But that didn’t mean I’d be nice to you.”

“Why, cuz I’ve almost killed you twice now while brainwashed?”

“You ripped the wing off my favorite Falcon suit. I don’t take that lightly, either.” Sam swatted Bucky with the wet towel and it flopped onto his face. Bucky ripped the towel off, but Sam left the room before he could do anything else.

Scott watched as Sam retreated and then relaxed once he was sure the quarrel had passed. “It’s okay, man,” Scott told him. “I totaled his other suit.” He patted Bucky lightly on his shoulder.

Bucky decided to let Scott go ahead and shave before he showered. Once that was finished, he finally had the shower to himself. But there wasn’t any hot water left. At least outside it was warm and sunny. Bucky dressed and shaved and borrowed a comb to run through his hair. It was nice to be clean for a change, but it bothered him that it was the first time he had bathed in a few weeks. 

Apparently Sam had gone running to Steve about Bucky’s attitude, because when Bucky came downstairs, Steve pulled him aside to have a talk with him. Bucky agreed to go along with what Steve asked and show some respect to Sam, but he wasn’t happy about it.

From the abundance of groceries that Laura and Natasha had brought home with them, they made a dinner of noodles with beef stroganoff. It was certainly better than anything they’d eaten on the TARDIS, Bucky felt--not that Sharon or the Doctor weren’t decent cooks, but they hadn’t had much to work with. The stroganoff was filling, and on the side there was a crisp, fresh salad and garlic bread. Bucky had two pieces, and he badly wanted to take the last piece on the plate for a third, but he saw Sam grab it and decided to defer. Wilson really wasn’t that bad a guy. He just didn’t trust Bucky, was all. Well, who did, really?

He wondered if anybody staying in that house actually trusted him through the cleanup after dinner. Afterwards, he sat by himself in the living room, watching Steve, Sam, and Scott talking on the couch. For a while he found himself standing in front of the window, watching the sun start to sink over the trees in the distance, sometimes listening to the guys talking and sometimes lost in thought.

The sun was starting to go down around seven-thirty when thumping footsteps came down the staircase. Clint Barton’s children Lila and Cooper came down, followed by Wanda Maximoff. Wanda was wearing jeans and a light jacket. She and Cooper carried glass canning jars while Lila held a toy net. 

“We’re gonna go catch fireflies,” Cooper announced to the men in the living room. “You’re welcome to join us.”

Steve smirked. “Nah, we’re good.”

“I’m fine, thanks,” said Scott.

“Thanks, but I’m tired,” said Sam.

“Aw, don’t you want to come with us, Captain America?” Lila said, looking at Steve like she wanted to run to him.

“Maybe later, Lila.” 

Bucky got the vibe that Steve didn’t really feel like going outside. He looked over at the children and Wanda as they walked out the door. Wanda looked at Bucky like she wanted to invite him along. But he didn’t feel like going outside at the moment, or really interacting with other people. He knew Wanda could read his mind enough to guess the answer, and she left.

Bucky resumed staring out of the window. In the background, Scott was telling Steve and Sam about his work with Hank Pym. Bucky quickly lost interest in listening. But over the next few minutes, he started paying attention to Wanda and Lila and Cooper. Laura went outside with Baby Nate to join them in the front yard. Every so often, a small, yellow dot would appear in the air and glow for a second or two. Wanda and Laura and the children took an interest in these lights. Laura would point one out to Nate and he would grab at it. Laura and Cooper took turns holding the net, swiping at the golden lights. They would carefully take the contents of the net and place them inside of the jars they had brought with them, and soon each of the jars had a collection of glowing lights. 

Wait a second, he told himself. He remembered something from his first trip west after leaving Hydra two years ago. He went outside onto the porch. The faint breeze made him regret not having come outside earlier. It was warm but not uncomfortably hot, and starting to get a little cool, even. Wanda was standing by a fence post with Cooper and Lila, helping them to send another captured light into a jar. 

Wanda smiled when she heard Bucky’s feet rustling in the grass, but she didn’t say anything to him just yet.

“Aren’t these called lightning bugs?” Bucky asked them.

“They’re called lightning bugs by some people,” said Cooper.

“Daddy calls them fireflies,” said Lila. 

“Fireflies, okay.” Out of the corner of his eye he saw a firefly flash, but when he turned his head for a proper look it was gone. 

“I’ve got one, Auntie Wanda,” said Lila, something glowing through her clenched fingers.

“All right,” said Wanda. She knelt down and carefully unscrewed the lid to one of the jars, holding her fingers over the opening just barely to admit the new insect. “Be careful to not let go of it,” said Wanda. Lila moved her hands carefully around the bug in her hands to release him into the jar. Wanda quickly replaced the lid. 

“How many do we got in that one?” asked Cooper.

“Six, I think,” said Wanda, standing up. She counted the lightning bugs. “There’s seven, now. How many are in the other one?”

Cooper was holding the other jar. “We got ten in this one,” he said. “Lila, give me the net, I’m going to go catch some more.” Lila obliged him. Cooper went off into the tall grass near the fence. Lila took the jar that Cooper was holding and followed him at a short distance. 

“There’s a lot out tonight, aren’t there?” Wanda commented. 

“Is that good?” Bucky asked her.

She looked at him. “Mm-hm. The lightning bugs don’t really hurt anything. They’re just pretty.” A glow appeared on her shoulder. She admired it for a moment and then blew so it flew away. 

Bucky looked off to his right. He saw a flash of yellow in the air in front of him. For a second afterward he thought he could see the bug that had produced it. He held out his good hand. The bug began glowing again and he grabbed for it. It flew away.

“How do you catch these?” Bucky asked. 

“Easy, you use both hands, but you need to be very gentle so you don’t squish it. If you see one, just grab it.”

Another firefly appeared to Bucky’s left. He raised his metal hand and moved it to the right after the firefly, but it was determined to escape him. 

Wanda took her jar of fireflies and watched him. Bucky moved forward a few steps and saw the firefly glow again. He raised both of his hands and scooped the firefly into both of them.

“I caught it!” he said.

“That’s great! Bring it here!” 

Bucky couldn’t help but admiring the little yellow light that filled his cupped hands. He turned around to Wanda. Wanda knelt on the ground and unscrewed the lid of the jar. Bucky crouched onto the ground in front of her. 

“Easy now,” she coached him as he opened his hands over the jar. The firefly stayed on his right palm for a moment. He wanted to shake it a little to get it to move, but then it flew down into the jar.

“There we go,” he said. He looked up at her. He hadn’t gotten a close look at Wanda Maximoff before. She had very long, brown hair that framed her face like curtains and blue eyes set over her prominent cheekbones. She looked down from him and then suddenly smiled.

“What?”

“Do you know the one song by Owl City--well, not, you probably wouldn’t have listened to a lot of music--but there’s this one song by Owl City about fireflies.”

“I’ve listened to some music,” said Bucky. “How does that one go?”

“‘You would not believe your eyes, if ten million fireflies, lit up the world as I fell asleep....’”

“How does the rest of it go?”

They both stood up as Wanda put the lid back on the jar. “‘I’d like to make myself believe--’”

“‘The planet earth turns slowly,’” he sang with her quietly. “Yeah, I’ve heard that one. Probably more than once. It would come on the radio sometimes when I was with the Tanners. Grace liked to listen to it.” Wanda’s face fell a little at the mention of Grace. “Do you know about Grace?”

Wanda was silent for a moment. “Hillary Tanner would stalk her on Facebook and keep Steve posted, when you two were together.”

“Really?”

Wanda gave a brief nod. Bucky wasn’t sure he wanted to ask Wanda what she’d heard about him and Grace. And Wanda looked uncomfortable. So he changed the subject.

“So...how do you know Hillary Tanner, anyway?” Wanda was walking after Cooper and Lila. Bucky went with her. 

“Hillary and Director Coulson from S.H.I.E.L.D. have worked with the new Avengers team that came together after the disaster in Sokovia happened,” said Wanda. “I’ve met her, on a number of occasions. We went to London together, once. And I’ve even been to her house. Twice. Her family had me and Natasha over for Thanksgiving last year while we were on assignment in Arizona. And last Christmas S.H.I.E.L.D. had a party there.” 

“Really?”

“Yes. Your fam--I mean, her family, they’re wonderful people.” Wanda said. 

Bucky nodded. “Okay. Are you and Hillary friends then?”

“Yes. She’s about my age.”

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-four.”

“Twenty-four--isn’t there an age limit for being an Avenger?”

“Well, in numerical years, the Vision is only one, so no,” Wanda said, laughing a little. “And of course the Captain is--”

“Nearly a hundred, yeah.”

He couldn’t think of anything else to say. He wanted to ask her about her powers and her backstory but he didn’t know how. 

Wanda smiled slightly as they walked on the driveway. “You know...you and I are not so different.”

“Really? How so?”

“Well...we’re both superhumans that people don’t really like. We’re both...kind of young, I mean if you take off the years that you were in Hydra.”

“Yeah.”

“And we’ve both suffered loss.”

He looked at her. “Who did you lose?”

“My brother. Pietro.”

“I’m sorry. How long ago was that?”

“About a year ago.”

“Oh,” he nodded. “So...what do your powers do, exactly? I haven’t been able to figure out.”

She looked up at him and smirked. “You’ve never heard of the Scarlet Witch?”

“Can’t say I have. I don’t really watch the news.”

“Well,” said Wanda, looking ahead to check on the children, “I can do a lot of things. I can control objects with my mind, of course, make things move and break.” She held up the firefly jar she was carrying. She released it and began to levitate it on a cloud of red mist. “You see?”

“Yeah, you did quite a bit of that at the airport. And you can make things explode fairly easily.”

“Yes,” Wanda nodded. “This power...it is energy. I have only to direct it with my mind. And it can do what I want.” She held her peace for a moment, and then added, “I can also affect people’s minds.”

“How so?”

“I can read them, from a distance. I can see what people are thinking or feeling. And I can control them, to a point. Make them see things--trap them with their worst fears or memories. Make them do things they don’t want.”

Bucky leaned away from her a little.

“It is all right. I would never hurt you. And Steve trusts me enough to let me be around you, I think.”

“Okay,” said Bucky, smiling a little nervously. “So...how did you get these powers? Were you born with them?”

“No,” Wanda shook her head.

“What happened?”

“It is a long story.”

“I’ve got all night.”

“Well...you know about the alien invasion four years ago, in New York City?”

“A little, yeah.”

“Well, that was made the Avengers famous. But a lot of people, myself--my brother and I--we felt like the Avengers were too dangerous to be trusted to protect the world.”

“Was he too smart to not get caught up in this superhero mess?”

“Well...that is part of the story, I guess,” said Wanda. She looked a little uncomfortable. She brushed it off and continued. “A little over three years ago, a man named Strucker came to Sokovia. He worked for Hydra. Have you ever heard of him?”

“No,” Bucky shook his head. 

“Strucker was--a researcher, a scientist. He had obtained a cosmic power source--the staff that Loki had used in the invasion, it turned out--and he wanted to use it for human experimentation. My brother Pietro and I volunteered to be subjects for Strucker’s experiments.”

“Wait--back up, you worked for Hydra?”

“We didn’t know it was Hydra. Strucker never told anyone where he had gotten his funding, or who he reported to. We were not his colleagues, in this research. We were his lab mice. He exposed us to radiation from the sceptre to see how it would affect our bodies, and he tested us with different chemicals and drugs. We were the ideal test subjects--fraternal twins, right? And as it turned out we were the only two who survived the experiments.”

“Yikes,” Bucky said quietly.

“My brother Pietro got super-speed and agility. And I--well, you’ve seen what I can do.” 

“Gotcha,” said Bucky. They had caught up with Cooper and Lila, who had added several more fireflies to their collection. Wanda knelt down with them in the tall grass to help them put some more fireflies in their jar. Then she walked with them around the house to hunt for more of the bugs, and Bucky followed them. When they came back around to the front porch, Laura was sitting in the rocking chair, holding Nate, and she announced that it was time for the children to get ready for bed. Cooper and Lila protested, but with a little encouragement from Wanda they headed up the porch steps.

“Here,” said Wanda, taking the jar of fireflies that Lila was carrying, “we should probably let them go for the night.”

“Can I let the fireflies go, Auntie Wanda?” said Lila.

“Sure,” said Wanda, kneeling down. “I’ll hold it. Can you undo the lid?”

Lila tried to turn the lid covering the jar but had a hard time of it. Wanda unscrewed the lid so that it was just barely on. Lila pulled it off the rest of the way. Some of the fireflies flew out of the jar, but some of them stayed inside.

“We’ll leave this outside,” said Wanda. She took the other firefly jar and opened it. She put both of the jars on the porch. Cooper and Lila went inside with Laura and Nate. It was well after sundown. A few of the stars were peeping out in between the purple clouds in the sky. 

Wanda caught Bucky looking at her when she was about to go inside. “I don’t believe you finished your story,” he said. He gestured to the porch steps, and they both sat down.  
He noticed that his metal arm was stiff, and his shoulder hurt when he tried to move it. He groaned quietly and clutched it.

“What is it?” Wanda asked.

“This arm--I’ve been using it all day, I guess it needs a rest.”

“Does it hurt?”

“A little. I guess I’m still getting used to it.” He let both of his arms rest on his knees. “So--how did the Avengers find you?”

Wanda told him the story of how her parents had died during the wars in Sokovia, and how she and Pietro had been trapped for two days with an unexploded Stark Industries missile and how that had fueled their desire for revenge. She described the Avengers’ attack on Strucker’s castle in Sokovia and how she had used a mind spell on Tony Stark. 

“You know...now that I think about it, I think that may have had something to do with why Tony Stark deciding to kill you, triggering his fears like that--”

“Don’t go there,” said Bucky. “You can’t prove that. Reacting to what he saw was his own choice--and so was what came after. What happened after you attacked him, anyway?”

“Well, Strucker and his men were either dead or captured, so Pietro and I went back to the city. We weren’t sure what to do with ourselves. We’d had to surrender all legal forms of identity to enter Strucker’s program, so we had to start from scratch. We roomed with a friend of Pietro’s for a few days...and then one night, I felt a presence arrive in the city, hiding in the ruined cathedral. It was not a man, not a creature of flesh and blood. It was a powerful artificial intelligence, created from Strucker’s power source by Tony Stark, and it was living inside of a robot that Strucker had built. It called itself Ultron. Ultron told us that he wanted to destroy the Avengers. That was what Pietro and I wanted, too. So we joined forces.”

Bucky could see the weight of shame and guilt on Wanda’s face when she described what she had done with Ultron--what she had done for Ultron, in fact. But that tension was released when she spoke of how Ultron had created the Vision and how she and Pietro had discovered what Ultron’s true intentions were. She and Bucky watched the fireflies dance as she told the story--she even paused to catch one that got close to the porch railing, and she cupped it in her hand for a moment. They had gone to help Captain America stop a speeding commuter train in Seoul, and then flown with him to New York to stop Tony from bringing Vision to life. That hadn’t exactly worked out the way anyone intended, she laughed. Thanks to Thor’s intervention, Vision had become good. But Bucky could see where Wanda had gotten her close relationship with Steve. She then got to the part about the battle in Sokovia, how she and Pietro and the Avengers had helped to evacuate and then rescue their countrymen. 

Wanda released the firefly she’d caught with a wave of her hand. “Our last job was to destroy what was left of Ultron before he turned the key to drop the meteor,” she said, looking out across the front yard and the fields, so far removed from that chaos and devastation a year ago. “I volunteered. I told Pietro to go and help finish the evacuations before he came back for me.” Wanda took a deep breath. “I heard later...there was one little boy who was trapped in the rubble just as an air raft was leaving. Clint Barton went to rescue him. But Ultron had stolen the QuinJet. He began shooting everything in sight.” Wanda paused and wiped her eyes. “Pietro saw them--he got the bullets instead. He didn’t even think about saving himself. I had always been connected to my brother, and since gaining our powers that connection was more real than ever. But when I felt him go--” she stared off into space, searching for the words. “A light went out in part of my mind. I felt something being torn away. It hurt, physically.”

Bucky was looking at her, his mouth open. “I’m sorry.”

Wanda shook her head. “You weren’t there….I abandoned my post. I had to find Ultron and finish him. I didn’t care about anything else anymore. The Hulk had thrown him out of the QuinJet and he’d landed him in a streetcar. I used my powers to yank out his core. His eyes went dim. One of Ultron’s robots turned the key to the meteor and the city fell. I was falling to my death, but I didn’t care--I didn’t have anything to live for, not with Pietro gone. But that was when Vision came and found me. He took me back to the helicarrier--” she shook her head. “He saved my life. I can’t believe I tried to hurt him a few weeks ago.” 

“Well, you were friends with Cap first, weren’t you?” 

“I know,” said Wanda. “But Vision--last summer, Vision and I agreed to be part of the new Avengers team. Steve trained us together. We’ve spent the last year working together, playing together. Being friends. I guess in the end I cared more about my freedom than our friendship.”

“That’s pretty harsh,” said Bucky. “I’ve heard the opposite complaint about me and Steve. We all do things for different reasons.” He wanted to console her just a little, but he didn’t want to be too mushy about it. “And people can be petty jerks sometimes. Stark, for one.” 

Wanda shook her head. “Stark and I weren’t exactly close, but I’d come to like him, just a little. I didn’t see why he had to support the Accords. He said he was trying to protect me--it felt a lot like he was trying to hurt me. But maybe he and Vision were right. Maybe I only hurt myself.” “Pietro...I don’t think he would have liked me betraying my friends, just to stand up for my own rights. The new life I worked so hard to build--and I threw it away.” She rested her folded arms on her knees. “Ultron was right: I did tear the Avengers apart. And I didn’t even mean to.”

“It’s not really fair to blame yourself for everything,” Bucky told her. “If anyone is responsible for tearing the Avengers apart, it’s me--but even I didn’t do everything…” He drifted off, trying to find the words that would make it right. “I don’t know you very well, but I do know that you’re willing and able to help out Steve when he needs something. And you’ve already volunteered to help me out, so thanks.” He wasn’t sure why he was saying all this to someone he barely knew, but it felt right to say it. She needed to hear it from somebody. 

Wanda sat up, squinting her wet eyes at him. “Well...you’re welcome, except I haven’t done anything for you yet.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, Wanda Maximoff, I’m honored that you’re coming to Arizona with me. And I think your brother would be proud of you.”

She smiled a little. “Really?”

“Yes. I do.” 

Wanda took a deep breath and looked out across the field again. For a moment, Bucky thought she was staring at something that only she could see. Perhaps she was remembering...She sat up. “Well...it was nice talking with you, Bucky,” she said. “I’m going to go in and get ready for bed now. But thank you.”

“Any time.”

She stood up and patted him on the left shoulder, close to where the metal arm was fused in. “Good night.”

“Good night.”

She went inside, turning on the porchlight when she was in the house. Bucky remained by himself on the porch, savoring the cool breeze and thinking. The twilight had faded to purple and deep blue. And there were still plenty of fireflies out.


	9. Second-Guessing

The next day was Sunday. Clint and Natasha went to the town of Edmonton to check their bank accounts there, taking the backroad that Clint had dug out with his tractor and using “Cousin June’s” car. Neither of the false identities tied to those accounts had been compromised or frozen. Clint had access to nearly a hundred thousand dollars, and Natasha had a little over forty thousand. Steve and Sam were pleased about this news. Sunday night, Scott, Bucky, Clint, Sam, and Steve sat down for a planning meeting. Wanda was there for the first part of it but got bored quickly and she was excused. Natasha, on the other hand, kept walking into the kitchen to make suggestions. Clint finally asked her to sit down and share her advice. Clint was willing to give Bucky and whoever was going to Arizona fifteen thousand dollars. For between four and six thousand they could get a car. A thousand would be put towards food and travel expenses. Scott Lang would be given five thousand dollars for a rental car and expenses.The rest, they hoped, would be enough to rent an apartment when they got to Arizona. They decided to take the road trip in three days, leaving Wednesday morning and arriving Friday afternoon. Bucky was bored and antsy through all the proceedings, and he was one of the first to leave when Steve decided at around ten that they’d done enough for one night. 

“You know, Nat,” Clint said, when everyone else but him and Natasha had left, “you might consider going to Arizona with these guys. I’m just saying.”

“Barton, you know I don’t want to do that,” said Natasha,” shaking her head.

“Well, you were the only one besides me and Steve and Sam who knew what they were talking about.”

“Well, then they should be enough to babysit Bucky.”

“Come on. Don’t tell me it’s personal.”

“It’s not...it’s just…” Natasha had to think for a moment, “All right, maybe it is a little bit personal. But most of the reasons are practical, Barton. Even with just four of them, they’ll be a huge target. Put me in the mix, and they’re more likely to get caught.”

“I thought you thought Steve was an idiot.”

“He can take care of himself.”

Clint shook his head. “Not with two of his best friends vying for his attention. Besides, Steve says he doesn’t want to be in the fighting down there. Not as Captain America, not as himself period. And Wilson’s feeling the need for a retirement too. So it’s just Barnes and Wanda...they’re just kids. They can’t do this alone. You’ve worked with Wanda before, and you’re more experienced. Come on, Nat, it makes sense. Besides, Arizona this time of year--phew, it’s the last place that General Ross would want to go and look for you.”

“Very funny, Clint,” said Natasha.

“I’m being serious. Wherever Nick Fury sends me and Laura, I intend on avoiding Phoenix.”

“Good luck. Clint, I’ve got my own plans already. You know that. I do best when I’m looking after myself.”

“No,” said Clint, leaning forward. In a quieter voice, he told her, “you do best when you’re looking after other people. Trust me, you do.” He took her hand and squeezed it.

“Clint--they don’t need me.”

“Yes, they do. Especially Wanda. Look, I know the past few weeks have been a little rough on everyone, but none of that mess was personal was it? All right? You’ve got to put yourself back out there. You’re an expert on hiding yourself, so you’ll be in a much better position to take care of them. And this isn’t just the Avengers, this is S.H.I.E.L.D.. The Arizona S.H.I.E.L.D. team has their hands full trying to contain Hydra. They need all the help they can get. I can’t leave my family again, and I don’t want to bring them into the mess--but you can go. Do it for me, Natasha?”

Natasha sighed.

“Just think about it. You want to make amends, this is your chance. You won’t rebuild any burned bridges with Steve and co. if you run away and hide.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Fine, then don’t,” said Clint, standing up and folding up his road map. “But I want you to think about it. At least...make sure they get to Arizona in one piece, okay? I don’t want to hear about them getting captured between here and there.”

Natasha stayed in her chair with her arms folded. 

Clint went upstairs. Wanda and Laura were in the hallway as Steve explained their road trip plans to them. After a minute, Steve went to the bathroom and Laura went into the bedroom. Wanda took some toys back into the playroom, and Clint followed her. 

“So I didn’t miss much, did I?” said Wanda, kneeling down to put the toys away in their chest.

“Well, we could’ve used your input, I think,” said Clint. “Otherwise we’re just a bunch of guys making decisions for you. I thought you didn’t like that.”

“Well, you have my interests at heart, Clint,” said Wanda, smiling up at him. Wanda sensed there was something on his mind. “What?”

“Are you really sure you want to do this, Wanda? Drive off into the unknown with these guys?”

“Yes, I am sure,” said Wanda, standing up and approaching him. “If I’m out of prison, I want to be doing something good. And this is the best thing I can think of doing. I’ve been to Arizona before. It will be fine.”

“Not when it’s a hundred and ten degrees down there,” said Clint. “You may not like it.”

“I’ll just stay indoors if it gets too hot,” said Wanda. “Any reasonable person would do that.”

“Wanda,” Clint sighed heavily. “Laura and the kids and I--we’re gonna miss you. If you leave, we may never see you again. Do you realize that?”

Wanda’s face fell. “Yes, yes I do,” she answered, nodding. 

“Nick Fury called me up earlier today. He said he’s found a place for us, in England.”

“England?”

“It’s a long ways away, I know.”

“Well...we can skype, won’t we?”

“That’ll be the best case scenario, honey. I’ll have a job doing consulting for an aircraft company but...other than that I might not be able to do much. If I am allowed to contact you it won’t be often.”

“Well...it’s better than nothing,” said Wanda. 

“Yeah, I keep telling myself that. Laura’s not that thrilled about having to move away from her family.”

“Does Natasha know?”

“Yes.”

Wanda looked down at the ground. 

“You know, if you still wanted, it wouldn’t be too difficult for you to come with us.”

Wanda smiled gently. “Living in England...that would be fun. But I feel I need to continue to live my own life. And to fight with the Avengers, no matter...no matter what shape the Avengers are in. I think my one trip to London is enough for right now. Maybe someday, when...when we’re more settled, I’ll come and visit you. But you’re not my only friend, Barton. I hope you know that.”

“I do.”

Wanda hugged him tightly. Clint patted her hair. 

“Pietro will be with you,” said Wanda. 

“I know he will,” said Clint. “He’ll be with you, too. You’re still his sister. And no matter what anyone says, you two will always be a part of our family.”

Wanda felt that Pietro was in the room with them, at that moment. He would go with her wherever she went--and so would the Bartons’ love for her.

 

Wanda showered again that night and stayed up to comb and dry her hair out. Natasha was already lying in bed, but she was awake.

“So do you think you’re going to Arizona with them?” Natasha asked Wanda.

“Yes, I am going with them. Make no mistake.”

“Ooookay then…” said Natasha, drifting off and looking at the ceiling. Wanda could read in Natasha’s mind what Barton had suggested to her earlier in the evening. She gave Natasha a look but didn’t say anything.

“Sounds like fun,” Natasha commented idly. Wanda didn’t have a response for that. But she knew that saying goodbye to Clint and his family in a few days also meant saying goodbye to Natasha--she didn’t want that yet. They hadn’t even started to repair their relationship yet. She didn’t want to say goodbye to her like this. But she didn’t have any way of telling Natasha that. She wanted Natasha to choose for herself. And she was pretty sure that Natasha already had her mind made up--

Or did she?

Natasha sat up in the bed. She was thinking, hard. 

“What?” Wanda asked.

“I wonder...I mean, supposing I did go with you. It’d save you guys the trouble of having to get a car, I can get a new one later. And, Mesa Arizona isn’t really that much different, as far as places to hide, other than people I know being there...and being around people you know really is better, isn’t it?” She looked up at Wanda and smiled. She wouldn’t bring herself to say it, but she wanted the chance to make up with Wanda.

“You know...you don’t really like all of those people you’re going to be in Arizona with,” Wanda pointed out.

“I’m not saying I’m going to go with you,” said Natasha. “I’m just thinking out loud. I...I admit, I admire you, for wanting to go out and keep doing the whole superhero thing, even though it’s obviously a bad idea. I mean, you and Barnes? Seriously, the two most unpopular superhumans in the world? With Rogers and Wilson for tech support?”

“Bucky seems nice.”

Natasha groaned. She didn’t think very highly of him, even when he wasn’t in Winter Soldier mode. “I’m not withholding my vote of confidence in you two for saying this: I mean, I think you two can do it. But I’m not really sure you two are gonna get far.”

Wanda laughed quietly.

“That’s not supposed to be funny.”

Wanda laughed some more.

Natasha shook her head. “But really though: when I think about it, I’m actually kind of jealous. When I get into hiding, what else am I going to do with myself? It’s what I’ve been trained to do. Settle down and have a normal life? That’s not me. I’m going to keep being an assassin and a spy. I might as well just do it for a good cause--with a team. You understand?”

“I don’t necessarily know yet what we’ll be doing in Arizona,” said Wanda. “We may be doing it part-time, or maybe just once in a while. Who knows.”

Natasha smiled at her slowly. “You know, I really do get what you were saying to me the other night. Your heart’s in the right place. I guess, if I really think about it, I’d rather be going with you even though I have issues with all of you.”

Wanda chuckled. “We can work it out.”

“I know. And I wonder how much of a good idea this is, if we’re not going to get along. But, the Avengers--we’re kind of a joke, really. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes--not really Earth’s Mightiest Best Friends by a long shot. But we’ve been proven to work together. Put our differences aside.” She sat with her legs folded under the comforter. “You know, with this whole Accords thing, I only ever wanted to keep the team together. If we split up and go our separate ways, fine, they’ll never find us--but who’s going to be there when the world is in trouble, hm?”

“That is a good question,” said Wanda. She sat down. “You know, we may not really be the best people for protecting the world. But we don’t know who else to call. Why not us?”

“Exactly. And there’s a threat we know about. It’s our job to take care of it.” Natasha sighed. “Doing it with people you don’t like, though...is there a limit to that? Is that too high a price? Or did the last few weeks prove otherwise?”

Wanda pulled down the covers and tucked herself in next to Natasha. “Well, I’m not saying you should hurry to make a decision. But you should probably make up your mind sooner than later. We’re leaving in three days.”

“Right,” said Natasha. She got out of bed to get the light.

“Natasha,” Wanda said when Natasha got back in bed, “if you did come with us--would you be all right--being roommates again? I’ve missed that.”

Natasha was looking the other way, so Wanda didn’t see her smile. But she knew the feeling was mutual. “I’ll let you--but if you’re good,” said Natasha. “But I’m not promising anything right now. I’ll just sleep on it.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Wanda turned over on her side of the bed. “Good night.”

Natasha pulled over whatever bits of the sheets that Wanda wasn’t hogging and wrapped herself up to lie awake and think some more.

 

Natasha didn’t notice Wanda getting out of bed the next morning. Sunlight was streaming through the windows when she woke up. She sat up and then swung her legs over the bed. But she sat a moment to think some more. She still had plenty of doubts about going to Arizona. Resolving them wasn’t going to be easy.

But over a breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon, Wanda had already told Bucky and Steve that Natasha was thinking about joining them. Clint Barton listened with interest as he helped serve the food but he didn’t say anything. Sam was vehemently opposed to Natasha coming with them--hadn’t she betrayed them, he argued? But Steve argued that they needed to give her a chance. 

“What you think, Bucky, would you mind having her come along?” Steve asked Bucky.

Bucky had his mouth full of bacon and eggs, but he was thoughtful as he was chewing. 

Natasha came downstairs fully dressed after almost everyone had eaten. Nobody said anything to her about her possibly going to Arizona, but she did seem oddly affectionate towards Laura and the little Bartons. Bucky observed her for a moment, trying to weigh what he already knew about her. Hadn’t she been a little rude to him, when she tried to bar him from entering the house the other day? It was obvious she didn’t like him. Not that he blamed her. He wasn’t exactly comfortable around people who had tried killing him in the past, Steve and Sam and Natasha included. But, she had helped out him and Steve in Leipzig--kind of a last-minute thing, and it ended up backfiring, but she had meant well, in that moment. What was more it helped that Steve already knew her and had worked with her for a while. He would be crazy to not accept her help if she offered it. But it sounded just as crazy to ask her to come along. Every time Natasha looked at Bucky, she had something in her eye that looked like hate. He didn’t want to be around that, did he?

What had the Doctor said at their last breakfast on the TARDIS? “You will meet people on the way to Arizona who will help you.” Something like that. Surely he hadn’t meant Natasha Romanoff? 

Well, the Doctor was crazy to begin with, Bucky thought to himself when he went onto the porch for fresh air. On the other hand, the Doctor was strange at times, but he could be very helpful. 

Natasha and Clint went to Edmonton again before lunch to go see about ordering some false IDs for their friends. Scott Lang went with them to see if he could find an internet connection and message Hank Pym. Natasha also announced that she would be shopping for a car for Steve and company. Steve, Sam, and Bucky passed the day cleaning out the yard and the barn again. Cooper decided to go out shooting with his BB gun, and Steve and Sam volunteered to supervise him. Bucky sat on the porch with Wanda, and they talked some more, Wanda telling him about some of the things she’d done with Hillary Tanner and Natasha and the Avengers. It was a hot, humid afternoon, but in the shade it was perfect. 

Scott, Natasha, and Clint returned from Edmonton in the middle of the afternoon. Scott left the car directly and went to report to Sam and Steve, who were sitting on the porch with Bucky and Wanda.

“So how’d it go?” Steve asked him.

“Better than I thought it would,” said Scott. “Dr. Pym emailed me back right away and we were able to chat online for a few minutes. He chewed me out, of course. He’s sending me a wire transfer--said it would help me out. And he’s gonna pay for the rental car, provided I can get a false ID. Natasha said she would have those ready by tomorrow.”

“Oh, that’s nice of him,” Steve commented. “And I thought these two were buying me a car?”

“Don’t be so hasty, Rogers,” said Sam. Natasha in her “Cousin June” disguise was fishing some grocery sacks out of the backseat with Clint. Cooper and Lila came out of the house to greet them. Steve got up from the porch and met them halfway.

“Can I take that?” he said to Natasha, gesturing to a grocery sack she had.

“Oh, no, it’s fine,” said Natasha. “I’ve got it.”

“What are these?” 

“More clothes for the trip. Some of them are mine.”

Steve sniffed. “Really, Natasha, going shopping for clothes?”

“Shopping is survival, Rogers,” said Natasha. 

“So what happened in town?” She and Steve entered the house. 

Natasha set some of the bags on the living room couch. “So, Barton and I looked at a few cars, test drove one. But I’ve been rethinking this, Rogers”

“Rethinking what?”

She turned to face him, pulling off her sunglasses. “I’m thinking it might be a smarter idea to go to Arizona with you guys, get myself a new car when I get there. You think you could handle it?”

Steve folded his arms.

“Well?”

“Well, I’m flattered that you’re considering joining us,” said Steve. “But you do realize, there’s a lot of hurt feelings--”

“I know. This might not be the best crew to take a road trip with. But if Wilson has any objections tell him I’d be happy to chain him to the roof.”

“It’s not Wilson I’m worried about,” said Steve.

Natasha sniffed. “Barnes? What’s his problem?”

“I’m not sure he trusts you.”

“Well--” Natasha looked over her shoulder. Bucky was in the doorway, listening to her and Steve talking. She leaned over to Steve and said more quietly, “I’m thinking about it. If I change my mind, I’ll go back to town and keep looking for a car for you guys.”

“But if not…”

“I’ll have a talk with you about it.” Natasha picked up two of the grocery bags and went upstairs. 

Bucky was still watching in the doorway. He looked at Steve and they exchanged shrugs.

 

Laura served them a late lunch of sandwiches and chips. Afterward, Bucky saw Wanda in the living room, looking at a framed photograph. 

“Who’s that?” he asked her.

“My brother, Pietro,” said Wanda, holding it out for him to see. Pietro had been tall, with dark curly hair and a cheesy smile. “That was my favorite picture of him. An old friend of mine sent it over Facebook last summer. Thought I’d give it to Barton.” Wanda looked up at Bucky. “He would have liked you, I think.”

Bucky nodded. As she put the photograph down, he noticed another framed photo on the same side table, of a group of people dressed for cold weather. Clint and Laura he recognized--as well as a girl with a round face and brown pigtails.

“Who is that?” he asked Wanda. Wanda had turned to leave but whipped her head back and saw what Bucky was pointing at.

“Who?”

“The girl, in this photo?”

“That is Emily,” said Wanda.

“Emily Bridger?”

“Yes. You’ve heard of her?”

“I’ve met her,” said Bucky. “Steve may have told you.”

“Oh, yes,” Wanda said, nodding hastily.

“How did she know Barton?” Bucky asked.

“She was Barton’s adopted cousin,” said Wanda. “Apparently she died a year or so ago. I never met her.”

“Hillary Tanner told me about her,” said Bucky. There was more he could have said, but he opted to remain silent.

 

With Bucky’s new arm hurting, he wasn’t much help with the yardwork, so he stayed inside and hovered in the background while Wanda and Natasha played with Lila and Baby Nate--mostly Wanda, since Natasha wasn’t too keen on spending time in the same room as Bucky. 

That needs to change, he thought to himself when he went out to the porch to relax in the hammock. If we’re going on a road trip together, she’d better at least be okay with us breathing the same air. He knew he couldn’t afford to wait for her to come forward: he needed to be the one to break the ice, so to speak. 

Dinner was baked ziti. Natasha was feeling talkative, and she chatted with everybody--except for Bucky. She flinched when Bucky handed her the salad and his metal finger brushed her hand. She could only bring herself to make eye contact with him long enough to ask him to pass the parmesan. Clint asked her if she had decided whether or not she was going to Arizona. She said it sounded like a good idea to her. Lila protested immediately that she was going to miss her Auntie Nat, but Natasha told her that she was going to go with the Avengers.

Natasha volunteered to help do the dishes after dinner. Bucky decided to help out as well, and he ended up putting away the dishes after Natasha had washed and Laura had dried them. Steve gave him a look, and Bucky nodded: Steve left and gestured for Sam to follow. Once the food had been put away, Wanda and Clint and Laura left. The children had gone to play outside. Scott didn’t see much point in sticking around with everyone else leaving. It was just him and her. Natasha scrubbed out the sink and ran the food disposal while Bucky finished putting away the dishes. She didn’t look nervous to be alone with him, just resigned. She wiped her hands on a towel and then looked up at him.

“Hi,” he said. Hi, is that really the best you can do?

“What do you want with me?” she said, straightening up slowly like a threatened animal.

Bucky glanced away. “I..uh...look, if you’re coming with us, I need to make sure you’re okay with being around me.”

Natasha huffed. “Look. You are the least of my problems.”

“Really?”

She raised her eyebrows, surprised that he’d called her bluff. “Yes.”

“You’re afraid of me. Why?”

“Lots of people are.”

“We’re not going to work well together if you’re going to treat me like this.”

“Treat you like what?”

“Ignoring me, every time I walk into the room. Avoiding eye contact. Do you think I’m okay with that?”

“I didn’t say I was afraid.”

“Well, if ‘afraid’ is too strong of a word,” he said, leaning against the sink, “then at the very least, you don’t like having me around.”

“Well--of course not! Who wants the Winter Soldier--”

“Steve’s told you who I was, hasn’t he? What they did to me?”

“Might’ve never shut up about it, but yeah,” said Natasha, rubbing a finger in her ear. 

Bucky huffed. “Typical Steve. So that’s it, I don’t need to drive you crazy in person, Steve just does it for me.”

Natasha walked over to the kitchen table, groaning. 

“Yeah, well, in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not all that Steve’s cracked me up to be.”

Natasha smirked. She turned around to look at him. “Far from it.”

“What do you mean by that?”

He saw the pressure rising in her face, fighting to get something out but wanting to choose her words carefully. “Never mind,” she said finally.

“Just who do you think I am?”

‘What’ might have been a better fit than ‘who.’ “You’re a threat.”

“That’s it? I’m a bomb waiting to go off?”

“Exactly.”

“Look. I don’t know how many times Steve has had to explain this to you. Zemo triggered me.”

“I didn’t know how it worked,” said Natasha. “Honestly, I wasn’t surprised about what happened in Berlin. I was almost waiting for it to happen.”

“You didn’t have to be there, you know.”

“Stark asked me to come. I was part of the security task force. I had to be there. They had Wilson and Rogers in custody, too--or did you forget that, that it wasn’t all about you?”

“You think I’m some kind of selfish drama queen?” he said, stepping away from the counter and gesturing with his good hand.

“No--”

“Evidence points to the contrary. When they nabbed me in Bucharest I was living a quiet life--”

“What makes you--”

“-- doing odd jobs, I had an apartment--” 

“But if--”

“I could take care of myself. I wasn’t hurting anybody--”

“Did you--”

“I was minding my own darn business, when somebody decided it would be funny to start a war between the Avengers by pinning me for a crime I obviously didn’t commit.”  
Natasha stood up and folded her arms. “You know, you seemed like a quiet type, but actually when you get going you talk a lot.”

That was a tangential comment he hadn’t quite been prepared for. And it obviously wasn’t a compliment. It had the desired effect of throwing him off. He looked at the window, leaning on the sink. He took a deep breath. Then he turned around to face her.

“If you don’t mind me asking. I know I last ran into you in Germany. But I’m pretty sure I’ve seen you somewhere before. Can you tell me where, if you don’t mind?”

Natasha’s face was blank. “Odessa,” she said. “Ukraine. Seven years ago. Your target was a nuclear engineer of strategic value. We went over the cliffs and you came out of nowhere. I rolled on top to cover him. You shot through both of us.” She lifted up the left side of her shirt and lowered her pants a little. There was an ugly scar hiding there.

Bucky didn’t react to any of this information. He looked up at her face. “I remember the guy I was supposed to shoot. I don’t remember you, however. He died, obviously. What happened to you?”

“I was out of commission for two months. I came here to recover.” She let herself smile a little as she looked around the kitchen.

“I’m pretty sure I’ve met you somewhere else since then.”

“Two years ago, then. Right when S.H.I.E.L.D. fell. I fought you.” She pulled down her jacket and her shirt collar from her left shoulder. There was a scar there, too, uglier and redder. “That was moments before Steve pulled off the mask and revealed who you were.”

“I do remember that better,” he said when she covered up her shoulder again. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.”

“Right, ‘cuz it wasn’t my fault?”

Natasha looked like she had been about to say something else, but then she said, “Do you think the UN buys that bullcrap? NATO? Homeland Security? S.H.I.E.L.D.? Stark? They don’t care who was controlling you. You’re the one who caused all that destruction.”

“Thanks for reminding me that I need to be in prison. I thought you and Steve were friends, but I guess that’s over now, huh?” He leaned on the sink with his right elbow.

She stepped closer to him. He looked up at her. She didn’t speak until he looked away again.

“How was I supposed to know that you were any different from me? How was I supposed to know that it was Hydra behind the trigger and not you?”

“Well, how was anyone?”

“I’m not like Wanda,” said Natasha, glancing at the floor. “I can’t tell what kind of a person you are just by looking at you.”

“What can you tell?”

“That you’re a highly trained assassin working for a top secret radical paramilitary organization that altered your memory to the point that you didn’t know that what you were doing was wrong, or that you were being tortured by the people you worked for. But you still did it anyway because you were too far gone, and they’d kill you if you refused.”

Bucky wasn’t sure if the lighting in the room had changed or if the way he was seeing Natasha had. “Is that what you were?”

“Yes.”

“But you still had your free will?”

“I did. I thought that if I was good at what they told me to do, then maybe that would make it worth it. It didn’t help. Then Barton found me. I joined S.H.I.E.L.D. and ended up with the Avengers. I figured out if I used my abilities for good--if I saved people and stopped the bad guys--then I would be good at something. Good for something. So that’s worked for me. Is that what you’re trying to do?”

Bucky looked away from her. “I’ve spent the last two years hiding, trying to protect myself from Hydra--trying to prevent what Zemo did to me from happening. In other words, the right thing. Passively. You, on the other hand--you’re actively fighting for what’s right. That’s a luxury, and I’ll admit I’m a little jealous. You can’t really do much when you’re on the world’s most wanted list.”

“No. You can’t. And I thought my superhero days were over for helping you and Steve, you know.”

He looked at her. “They don’t have to be. The Doctor says that S.H.I.E.L.D. can help us make a new start. Steve’s coming with me. So are Sam and Wanda. I know you don’t trust S.H.I.E.L.D. anymore, and I don’t blame you. But you don’t have to go it alone. I know I’d much rather be on my own than doing this but somebody needs to stop Hydra. And we need a team to do it. We won’t have much of a team unless you’re on it. You’ve worked with the Avengers before, you have experience. You’re the kind of person we need--the kind of person I need, for the team.” She looked almost offended by the remark, but he kept talking. “I know I haven’t given you a lot of reason trust me, but we have to put that behind us now. I don’t know what you think, but I think stopping Hydra from rebuilding down in Arizona is more important than our differences. Because we both know what happens if they get away with it.” 

“Is that you or Steve talking?”

Bucky snorted. “It is definitely not Steve,” he said, waving his hands defensively. “No I--I’ve learned from experience. I got a taste of being on a team in Germany. It was...not the best experience I’ve had but I learned a few things. I don’t remember the Howling Commandos much but I do remember belonging, being part of something greater. I think we could do something similar.”

Natasha looked up at him with her arms folded. “I’m pretty sure Stark has the shield now but Steve would be happy to let you have it.”

Bucky laughed. “Me. Yeah, right. Me--Captain America? Like that’ll ever happen. Seriously, though, it’s not about me. It’s not about my adopted family, either. It’s about making sure that Hydra can never be in a position to destroy the world again. I thought the Avengers did that sort of thing.”

“Well, we do. Usually whenever Steve thinks it’s a good idea, and that can happen whether or not anyone else working with him agrees at the moment.”

“Uh-huh.” That was a much more candid commentary on the last two Avengers teams that he’d asked for. “Well, it’s not going to be anything like that.”

“Why, because you’re in charge?”

He didn’t have a better answer than that. “Look: if you’re for sure coming with us, I just want you to know that we need to put the past behind us. And we need to take care of that now because we’re leaving the day after tomorrow.” Natasha scowled at him. “Personally, I’d like to make a fresh start. And I think it’ll work best if you do the same. But are you going to be okay working on the same team with me?” He looked her in the eyes. He hadn’t noticed their color before--they were startlingly green. For some reason he liked looking at them better than at the rest of her face--maybe the color helped him to feel calm. But he felt more in control if she wasn’t looking away from him. 

Natasha sighed and glanced down. “If you want a fresh start, you can have it. But you know,” she said, stepping away a little and then looking back, “we don’t really know each other that well anyway.”

“That’s right. Steve hasn’t had the chance to introduce us yet.” Bucky smirked.

She gave him a half a smile. “I’m not sure I want to call you Bucky. That’s Steve’s name for you.”

“Well, it’s what everyone else calls me,” Bucky shrugged. “Zemo tried calling me James but it didn’t work out that well.”

She looked at him. “Well, the rest of the world knows better and is now looking for Bucky. So you might want to start going by something else. I think you could use someone on your side calling you James.” She tapped her foot and thought. “Tell you what, I’ll only call you Bucky if I’m annoyed with you. And I’ll call you ‘Barnes’ if I’m mad at you.”

“Okay,” said Bucky. “So...I’m James.” He gestured for her to answer.

“James,” she said. She held out a hand for him to shake. “My name is Natasha.”

Bucky held out his hand to shake hers. “Hello, Natasha. It’s nice to meet you. Formally.” They withdrew their hands quickly. “Where are you from, might I ask?”

Natasha chuckled quietly. “Here and there. Mostly the east coast. How about you?”

“Oh, I’m not really from anywhere. Some crazy guy who’s been following me around says I’m from Brooklyn--but that was a long time ago for both of us, I think.” 

Natasha laughed. “A really long time ago.”

“Yeah. But most recently I’m from Arizona. I’m headed back there, actually.” 

“So you want me to come with you?”

“Yes. It’s just me and a few other friends. We’re going to go stay with my foster family, I’m hoping. And you’re welcome to join us.”

“All right. You’ll have to show me around.”

“I will. Anyway, thanks Natasha.”

“You’re welcome, James,” she said.

“Clint says he’s going to tune up your car tomorrow for the trip.”

“All right, then. I’m not sure it needs much of a tune-up, though.”

“Well, it wouldn’t hurt to check, I’m just saying,” said Bucky, shrugging as he turned to leave the kitchen. “I used to work in a car shop. Learned a few things. Well, I suppose I’ll talk with you later, Natasha. It was nice meeting with you.” He glanced back over his shoulder as he retreated and caught the puzzled look on Natasha’s face. “See ya.”

 

So with the change in plans, Natasha volunteered to drive them to Arizona in her car if Steve would pay for the gas. She would get a new car when they reached Arizona and the others could keep the gray Nissan Sentra. It would be a tight fit, with five of them and their baggage. But it would be adequate. Clint was happy to let Bucky help him inspect and tune-up the vehicle for the trip Tuesday morning.

After lunch on Tuesday, Scott Lang packed his duffel bag and said farewell to the Bartons, Bucky, and Wanda, and Sam got to call him “Tic-tac” one last time. Natasha in her Cousin June disguise drove Scott to Edmonton to pick up his rental car so he could start on his trip. Steve came with them, wearing a low baseball cap of Clint’s and a pair of sunglasses. They stopped at the DMV first to pick up their fake IDs. Each of them had generic pictures and odd false names attached to them.

“Did you pick these names?” Scott asked Natasha when they were leaving.

“Yes, I did,” said Natasha. “Hopefully it’ll be enough to get us to where we need to go. After we get to Arizona, of course, S.H.I.E.L.D. will be changing them for us again.”

Steve looked at his ID card. His false ID for the trip was Jeremy Smith. But Scott had gotten the short end of the stick with “Talbot Townwood.” Scott glanced at his fake license occasionally as they drove out of the DMV and laughed.

“So do we need to go anywhere before we get your rental picked up?” Natasha asked Scott.

“Yes. The Western Union at the grocery store. Hank Pym should have some money waiting for me there.”

So they went to the grocery store. While Scott was at the Western Union, Natasha and Steve shopped for snacks to eat on their road trip and got some groceries for Laura. They planned to eat out for their regular meals, but it would be good to have stuff to munch on, in the meantime. They stocked up on puffcorn, granola bars, trail mix, fruit rollups, and potato chips.

“I just hope we don’t crush anything on the way,” said Steve as he gingerly loaded the chips into the cart. 

“It’s inevitable,” said Natasha none too brightly.

Scott picked up his payment from Dr. Pym and went to buy some snacks of his own. He met them at the checkout counter. Steve and Natasha put most of their purchases in the trunk so Scott could have some room to sit. Not that he needed it much longer anyway. They went to the car rental store. Scott Lang had a car reserved for him under the name “Richard Brown.” It was a pristine Hyundai Elantra, white. Steve helped Scott to load up, and then Scott turned to say his farewells to them.

“Well, anyway, I’m glad you were able to put up with me, um--I’m sorry, what was your real name again?” Scott asked.

“Natasha.”

“Natasha, right. Anyway, thanks for helping me out. I hope we meet again someday.”

Natasha shrugged.

Scott held out his arms. “Do I get a hug?”

“How about a handshake.”

“Right, right, sorry about that,” said Scott. They shook hands awkwardly but respectfully.

“It’s all right. Have a safe trip.”

Steve looked at Scott expectantly. Scott opened up his wallet and started pulling out bills.

“Dr. Pym said he wanted you to have this,” he said.

“Oh no, please,” Steve protested.

“It’s not from me, it’s from him,” he said. “He thinks you guys need all the help you can get, and besides, you need it more than I do.” He held out a handful of hundred-dollar bills. “Dr. Pym says it’s for screwing over Stark.”

“Oh no, please,” Steve said, holding out his hands. “I can’t accept money for that.”

“Take it or leave it,” said Scott.

“Fine, I’ll take it. I guess you’re right,” Steve answered reluctantly as he accepted the cash. “But anyway, I forgot to thank you earlier, for coming to help out in Germany.”

“Oh, not a problem.”

“Really, Scott. I know it was a lot of hassle for you, getting arrested.”

Scott sniffed. “Old hat for me. Besides, it meant getting to help the Avengers. That was pretty awesome. I think I’d rather be in your debt, honestly, for getting me out of there.” He shook hands with Steve. And then Steve pulled him into a bear hug.

“Anyway, thanks again, for everything,” said Scott, straightening himself up.

“Remember,” said Natasha. “If you get pulled over, your name is Talbot Townwood.”

“Right, right,” said Scott. 

“Please don’t blow it.”

“I won’t. I guess I’ll see you around, then.”

“See ya, Scott,” said Steve.

“Have a safe trip,” Natasha added.

“You too!” said Scott. He opened the passenger door to his rental car and climbed in, then jumped out. “I think I should probably get in to drive on the other side. Heheh.” Scott walked around the front of his car and got in. Steve and Natasha stood back and watched him pull out. 

 

Steve and Natasha went straight back to the Bartons’ house. Laura was doing laundry, and everyone leaving the next day was eager to get their clothes washed. Natasha put all of their travel snacks minus the chips in a single bag--the chips would go in the back window, she decided. 

It wouldn’t be difficult for everyone else to pack their clothes and meager belongings, but Natasha had brought a large suitcase and had hung up most of the clothes she’d brought. Dinner was chicken and rice, and after eating Clint and Wanda hung out at the kitchen table to play ‘Sorry’ with Cooper and Lila. Laura stayed and watched while she held Baby Nate. Natasha went upstairs to finish her packing. 

Bucky dug his shirts out of the pile of clothes that had just come out of the dryer. He had gathered up his clothes and toiletries in Laura’s room and loaded his duffel bag there.  
It was hard not to think of the duffel bag the Tanners had given him, that he’d lost in Denver while he was looking for Grace.

When he had finished, he heard Natasha heading back down the stairs. He came out into the hall just as Natasha was leaving the staircase. He went downstairs and saw that Natasha was with the Bartons and Wanda in the kitchen. Natasha and Laura and Clint were talking about the years they’d spent working for S.H.I.E.L.D.. Wanda and the children were watching them, and they all looked glum. Wanda looked the saddest, with her hands folded on the table and having a hard time looking up at the other adults. Bucky thought for a moment that he could feel her sadness from across the room. Wanda glanced up at him just as the notion crossed his mind. He turned away and went out to the front porch, missing the glances of Clint and Natasha. He probably just felt sorry for her, he reasoned.

The evening had faded to mostly purple. The crickets were chirped like ringing bells. There were a few fireflies out, over by the fence. Sam and Steve were both on the porch and left them well alone. Sam was sitting on Laura’s rocking chair, leaning back in it and letting it move forward slowly. He looked up when he saw Bucky come out.

Bucky gave a half a smile.

“What?” said Sam.

Bucky was trying to think of something clever to say about Sam being in a rocking chair, but he shook his head. “Never mind.”

“What? Did you want to say something?”

“No--aren’t you kind of young for a rocking chair, though?”

“Takes one to know one, Grandpa. You want it?”

“Nah, it’s fine.” 

Steve was leaning on the porch railing. Bucky joined him.

Sam leaned back in the rocking chair and groaned an oath. “I’m not ready for another road trip with you, Rogers.”

“I thought it’d been a while since the last one,” said Steve. 

“Yeah. Back when we were looking for this guy,” said Sam, gesturing at Bucky. “At least Emily kept quiet. Most of the time.”

“Yeah, when she wasn’t singing country music with you.”

Sam huffed. “And you played us the best hits from the forties. You were equally annoying.”

Steve looked away from Sam.

“What are you two guys doing out here?” Bucky asked him.

Steve sighed. “In there--that’s the last time Nat and Wanda are going to be with the Bartons for a while. Thought we’d give them some privacy.”

Bucky nodded. He could understand that. 

“Today’s Tuesday, right?” he asked.

“Uh-huh.”

“So tomorrow’s Wednesday, then,” said Bucky. “That was when the Doctor said that S.H.I.E.L.D. was going to go after Hydra. I wish we could be there.”

“I know,” said Steve. “Don’t think I don’t want the exact same thing. But the Doctor let us out here. Told us it would be safe to get there after it was over.” He looked at Bucky. 

“You’re going to have to hope that S.H.I.E.L.D. can handle it without us for now.”

“Well--the Doctor said they would handle it,” said Bucky. “But--not very well, I mean--a lot of people are going to get hurt. And die.”

Steve shook his head. “You can’t save everyone. You know that.”

Bucky stared down at the flower beds below the porch. It felt wrong, knowing what was about to happen and being unable to prevent it. Sure, Hillary herself would get off all right--but her other friends there would get hurt. What about them? And what about the police and SWAT team that would take a heavy toll in the battle?

He wished he could go back in time. To when, he couldn’t say. Far enough back to change some things, that was for sure. Go back and find a way to protect Grace. Stop Hydra from following him to Arizona. Maybe even back to the forties, when it all began, and keep from falling off that train. He and Steve could have just ended the war and lived normal lives, had everything and lost nothing. 

Steve regretted losing him on that train ride, he’d heard that much from Hillary. And Bucky could see that regret in Steve’s face every time they were in the same room together. Even now, as he stole a glance at Steve, he could see it weighing him down. 

Maybe Bucky could feel it, too. From just being around Steve or just knowing, it was hard to say which. Maybe both.

Would the Tanners let either of them back, after what had happened? Steve had done some things in the last few weeks that they might not agree with. Bucky couldn’t see Jo and Trey being pleased with either of them. And Hillary...at the very least, she was frustrated with some of Steve’s choices. She wouldn’t accept their return lightly.

Will they take me back? Bucky wondered. Had they forgotten him? Was there a chance that Hillary had told her family the truth, that he was innocent? Would they have been convinced?

Or do they think I’m a monster, just like everybody else does? 

Was going back to them really a good idea? Would the Tanners be safe? Or was there really any way to protect them from the Winter Soldier, dormant but loaded, ready to go off?

Laura opened the front door. “Hey guys! Who wants ice cream?”

“All right!” said Steve, perking up.

“What flavor you got?” asked Sam.

“Neapolitan. Natasha brought it home, thought it the best way to please everybody. Come on in, boys.”

Everyone went back inside the house for ice cream. Bucky sat on the kitchen counter to eat and no one bothered him--it was like he had just faded into the background while everyone else talked and laughed. They all had their burdens, but it was still easier for them to talk and act like there was nothing wrong with the world when they didn’t have to worry day and night about becoming a human weapon.

After dessert, Steve and Sam went upstairs to pack their bags. Laura and Wanda and Nat put the children to bed, taking their time to savor their last night together. After Lila and Cooper and Nate had gone down, Nat and Wanda followed Laura into the bedroom to talk. Clint joined them. 

Bucky stayed in the house long enough to get ready for bed and then went back out to the porch. He laid down in his hammock, mostly staring up at the roof of the porch but occasionally glancing to one side at the stars. He was wondering about the upcoming three-day trip and what might come after for them in Mesa. There was a lot that could go wrong, he was painfully aware of that. But more likely than not, things would be all right, at least until Hydra figured out they were there. What happened when they did was anyone’s guess. Steve didn’t come out to join him for a long time. They talked for a few minutes, but then Steve fell asleep on his mattress. Bucky laid awake for a little while longer before he finally let himself drift off. 

 

Steve got him up at around six in the morning. They were planning to take off at eight. Bucky took a shower and put on a change of clothes. Laura and Clint made them all a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs and cheese biscuits, which was served at a quarter to seven. Cooper and Lila were roused so they could see everyone off. At a quarter past, Natasha pulled up the Nissan to the front porch and she and Steve loaded everyone’s bags. Clint had to roll his eyes at Wanda’s wicker briefcase. She had insisted on keeping it, even with the additional clothes and duffel bag that Laura had given her. 

“I’m telling ya, it’s gonna get smushed,” said Clint. 

They arranged the luggage so that the suitcase and wicker case fit on one side, one on top of the other, and the four duffel bags on the other side. It was a tight fit for everything. Clint had to give a sigh and dust his hands after closing the trunk. 

“Is that everything?” Steve asked. Everyone nodded. 

“Well, Bucky,” said Clint, “did you like sleeping in the hammock?”

“Yes, I did,” Bucky told him. “Thanks. Do you need me to put that away for you --”

“No, no, I’ll get it later. Or maybe I’ll just leave it up, take a nap in it.”

“Good plan.” He shook hands with Clint. Clint pulled him in for a hug. Then he turned to Sam.

“I guess birds of a feather flock together,” he told Sam. “I’ve enjoyed working with you. If there’s ever a chance for us to work together again, I’ll take it,” he said to Sam Wilson.

“Any time, man.” They embraced briefly.

Clint looked up at Steve. “You’ll always be Captain America to me. No matter what anybody says. And I don’t count Stark’s opinion anyway.”

“I wish you the best of luck, Barton,” said Steve, shaking hands with him solemnly. “I’m sorry about all the trouble--”

“Hey, it’s an occupational hazard. You should hear Nat talk about some of the prisons we’ve escaped.” He and Steve hugged. And then he turned to Natasha.

“Do I need to bring out Laura and the gang first?”

“Well...you can say goodbye to me as many times as you want, Barton,” said Natasha. “You know I’ll be back.”

“I don’t know if--”

Natasha shushed him. “There will be.” She practically jumped into Clint’s arms. He held on to her for a long time, patting her back and her head. When he finally let go of her, he turned to Wanda. Neither of them felt the need to say anything, so they just hugged it out. Then Clint went back into the house to get Laura and the kids.

“So who’s driving first? Natasha?” said Bucky.

“It’s my car anyway,” said Natasha. 

“Well, were you okay with us taking turns helping you drive?” Steve asked.

“Whenever I need a nap. And I plan on not napping a lot. But the only people I’m sharing the wheel with are you and Wilson, Rogers.” She glanced at Bucky and Wanda, who were looking back at her sourly.

“You know, it would be a show of confidence--” Steve started.

“Rogers, no,” said Natasha. In a lower voice, she told him, “If we get pulled over for any reason, it would be much easier for them to blend in the back seat.”

“Well, can’t they sit up front, at least?”

“If they’re good.”

Clint came out of the house with Laura and Cooper and Lila. Laura was carrying Nate. Lila came running down the steps calling to her auntie Nat, and Cooper followed after her. Natasha gave each of them a big hug and kissed Lila. Then she stood up to say farewell to baby Nate. Nate had his eyes open but was resting on Laura’s shoulder. 

“You’ll find a way to keep in touch, won’t you?” Laura asked her. 

“Don’t I always?” said Natasha. She hugged Laura. 

Cooper was kind enough to give Wanda a single hug. Lila, however, Wanda picked up and squeezed affectionately. “I am going to miss you!” she said. She put Lila on the ground and then turned to hug Laura and Baby Nate. Laura only had Wanda to herself for a moment before Clint and Natasha joined them in a group hug.

“This house,” Wanda said, her voice cracking as she looked behind the Bartons, “it’s been a home to me. When I thought I would never have one again. I am so sad that you have to leave it.” She hugged Clint again.

“I’m gonna miss you, kid,” said Clint. Wanda let go of him.

Laura said to Wanda, “You have a home waiting for you in Arizona, Wanda.”

“Really?”

“That’s what it sounds like.”

Wanda hugged Laura one last time. Clint patted her back. 

Steve and Bucky and Sam quietly said goodbye to Cooper and Lila. 

“I’m glad you got to stay with us longer this time,” Lila told Steve.

“I’m glad I did, to,” Steve told him. He turned to Cooper and said, “Take care of your dad for me, all right?”

Cooper shrugged. “I’m sure Dad can take care of himself.” Steve patted him on the shoulder.

Clint gave a last look to the group of friends leaving his house. He decided to shake hands one last time with Steve and Bucky. “Well, hey, if the engine breaks down, you know who can fix it, right?” He patted Bucky’s metal arm.

“Hopefully it’s something I can fix,” Bucky said.

“You’ll be fine, kid. Just do me a favor, all right?” he said to both of them. “Look after Wanda and Nat for me.”

“We will,” said Steve. He had to squeeze in one more hug for Barton. And then Natasha came around to hug Clint again.

“Shouldn’t you be getting the car started?” Clint asked her.

Natasha laughed. “I had one more thing to take care of.”

“Ah. Budapest. Good times.”

Natasha went around to hug Laura again. She gave Nate a final pinch on the cheek and patted Cooper’s head. Lila grabbed her leg just as she was finally heading for the driver’s seat. She let go, and Natasha opened the car door. “Well, you take care of yourself, Barton.”

“Don’t I always?” Clint said, waving with one hand while he took Nate in the other.

“I call shotgun,” said Sam. He walked around to the passenger side door, holding open the back door for Wanda. Wanda waved goodbye to the Bartons and then slid to the middle of the back seat. Steve got on her left and Bucky sat on her right. Natasha started the car and started forward. Wanda stole a final glance back at the house. Clint and his family waved one more time and then turned to go back inside. Natasha headed up the back trail that Clint had dug through the field and onto the open road. The landscape was mostly rolling hills, fields interspersed with thick forests. Bucky wondered at how much the terrain would change before they reached their destination.


	10. The Frenemies' Road Trip

The silence in the car as they began the first leg of their trip was uncomfortable. After they had driven for about ten minutes and everyone had spent some time with their thoughts, Steve finally broached the subject of who would actually be driving the car.

“So you seriously don’t want Bucky to drive your car?”

“Yes,” said Natasha. “You’ve seen what he does to cars--”

“I can totally hear you,” Bucky commented. Sam groaned.

Natasha ignored him. “--in full Winter Soldier mode. Plus what if he gets triggered while he’s driving?”

“That isn’t going to happen--not in this car,” Steve insisted.

“Steve, do you really know what it takes to set him off, more than just some fancy words?”

“Excuse me, but is this really the best place to be having this discussion?” Bucky said, leaning forward toward the driver’s seat.

“Buck, let me handle it,” said Steve. Bucky backed down. “Natasha, the Tanners trusted him with their cars.”

“Well, I don’t,” said Natasha, lowering her voice. “The best chance we have for getting to Arizona is not getting caught while we’re driving. You know that Bucky’s a wanted criminal.”

“I think everybody in this car qualifies for that statement,” said Steve. 

Natasha huffed. “I guess the nice way to put it is that I don’t feel comfortable letting him drive.”

“Does the same go for Wanda?”

Bucky glanced over at Wanda. She was huddled leaning back. 

“Take Barnes out of the picture, and she’s the most wanted person in this vehicle. Trust me, if we get pulled over, things would be worse for us depending on who was behind the wheel.”

“I see what you’re saying, Nat,” said Steve. 

“Don’t take it personally, Rogers.”

“All right, I won’t,” said Steve, sounding a mite angry. “But is it okay if we take turns sitting in the front passenger seat?”

Natasha rolled her eyes. “We can do that. But I don’t want to be up front with Barnes.”

“The same goes for me,” said Sam.

Bucky looked at the two of them. “What did I do to either of you to--” He saw Sam glaring at him in the rearview mirror. “Okay.” 

Wanda slumped sideways onto Steve’s shoulder. She didn’t like being excluded from driving, Bucky could tell that much. Well, he didn’t mind. It was probably just as well, he thought when he got over his irritation with Natasha and Steve. In fact, he worried that Natasha was right about what could happen if someone set him off while he was behind the wheel. It wasn’t going to happen, sure, but if it did...well, he didn’t want to think about it, but it was far too easy for his mind to go to that scenario.

But he didn’t like seeing Wanda looking so gloomy. It was understandable, having just said goodbye to the Bartons and all that. But she didn’t need to be down on herself for what everyone else was saying about her. He looked towards her and gave her a little bit of a smile.

“What?” she said.

“Nothin’,” said Bucky. “Just wanted you to cheer up a little.” He nudged her very slightly with his elbow--he had to gamble on her not really minding. Her face squished into a grin momentarily. That was good enough. Bucky leaned against the window to watch the landscape pass, not caring whether or not he went to sleep. Steve let Wanda rest on his shoulder.

But then the motor in the passenger’s chair in front of Bucky hummed to life, and Sam Wilson leaned backward so that his headrest was almost touching the brim of Bucky’s hat.

“Dude!” Bucky snapped.

“What, uncomfortable?” said Sam.

“You’re almost on top of me.”

“Well, I’ll have you know that I have very long legs--and this is a smaller car.”

“Not as small as the one in Germany!”

“Saaaaaam,” said Steve warningly.

“Okay, okay, I’ll move up, you happy?” said Sam, leaning his chair forward again. He muttered profanities under his breath, wondering what had become of him.

Wanda’s sad look only deepened. It hurt her to see her friends quarreling with each other.

 

Natasha managed to continue driving for several hours, during which time they passed through a few small towns and lots of farmland in southern Indiana and Illinois. Their first rest stop was a gas station in Illinois about an hour east of Saint Louis, where they planned to stop for lunch. Everyone got out to stretch. Wanda put on the hat she’d brought with her from the TARDIS, and Sam and Steve both had their caps and sunglasses on. Not that there was really anybody out to bother them. Steve gave Bucky a nudge and pointed out a security camera by the door to the convenience store.

No one was exactly looking forward to returning to a populated area, but Wanda leaned over Bucky a little as they drove around downtown Saint Louis and got a good look at the Gateway Arch and the Mississippi river as they crossed over. They came to a suburb on the west side and pulled up for lunch at a local diner. Steve slipped on a pair of fake glasses, but Bucky was quick to point out that he still totally recognized Steve with them on. The five of them slid into a booth, Steve and Bucky and Wanda on one side and Nat and Sam on the other. The waitress didn’t comment on the gentlemen wearing their baseball caps indoors but brought them chicken strips and burgers and salads and drinks. Wanda was very tempted by the picture card of a house specialty oreo cake and begged Natasha to stay for dessert, but Natasha insisted that they needed to get going. 

As they crossed the parking lot back to the car, Natasha informed Steve that she wanted a nap.

“Can you drive and make sure they don’t bite each other’s heads off?” Natasha said, sounding groggy as she handed her keys to Steve.

“It might take some work,” Steve said as they approached the car.

Natasha got into the passenger’s seat. Sam switched spots with Steve, and Wanda sat in between him and Bucky. Wanda looked like she wanted a nap, but Sam didn’t seem willing to let her rest on his shoulder--or let Bucky switch her spots. Wanda had to content herself for a while with sitting upright. As they drove out of Saint Louis, the suburbs were replaced with rolling countryside, wooded hills and fields of cows and horses and crops. It got boring very quickly. 

Bucky looked over his shoulder at Wanda, who was staring wearily out the window. She was looking at him like she wanted a nap on his shoulder. He nodded for her to go ahead. She leaned onto him without further hesitation. She wasn’t bothered by his metal shoulder--it was under enough layers of clothes that she couldn’t really feel it. Bucky wasn’t awake for much longer than that. They slept for a couple of hours while Steve drove. Steve turned on the radio but it was mostly to keep himself awake. 

Bucky woke up when Natasha finished her nap and leaned her chair up. The landscape hadn’t changed much at all. Sam and Wanda began to stir and stretch inside their limited space. 

“So what do we think, guys?” Steve said when everyone was awake, “wanna stop in the next town and take a stretch?”

“How’s the tank?” Natasha asked.

“Getting to half,” said Steve. “We can top it off. It should be enough to get to Tulsa.”

“I need to stop and visit an ATM,” said Natasha.

“I need a bathroom,” said Wanda. 

“All good things,” said Steve.

“There’s not really much for us to do, is there?” Wanda commented.

“You getting bored, Wanda?” Steve asked her.

“Maybe.”

“You could probably find something for entertaining yourself when we pull over,” Sam suggested.

“I dunno,” she sighed.

They pulled over in a little town just off the interstate and parked at a Chevron gas station. Steve filled up the car and everyone else went inside to do their business. Wanda came out of the bathroom and looked around the convenience store for something to do, but it was a smaller store: there wasn’t really much to buy that wasn’t food except for cigarette lighters and road maps. She went outside and waited next to the door. Bucky came out and joined her. Sam went back to the car. There was a little ATM machine on the corner of the building. Natasha went there to draw some cash. Wanda watched her.

Bucky examined Wanda. He wasn’t sure what she was thinking, or how he was supposed to know what she was thinking. But he could guess what was on her mind.

Wanda stretched. “My bottom is stiff from too much sitting.”

“Yeah, mine too,” said Bucky. “Don’t you hate it?”

“Steve says you used to hitchhike everywhere.”

“What, have you never been on a long car trip before?”

“I usually fly across country, when I’m going this far.”

Obviously being an escaped convict made this no longer an option for her. It went without saying. They both looked at Natasha. 

“So what do you think of her?” Bucky said to her quietly. “Is she warming up to us?”

“I don’t think she wants to,” said Wanda soberly. “I want to tell her that you’re all right. But I’m not sure how to say it, exactly. Do you know the feeling?”

He nodded.

“Yes. Steve has a hard enough time defending both of us to her. I can’t expect her to believe me if I tell her that I trust you. I guess she can find out for herself.”

Bucky stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets. “Well, is giving whoever offends her the silent treatment helpful to her?”

“I don’t know. She’s more the kind of person who observes, so in a way--but at the same time, she is already prejudiced against you. And it’s going to take a while for her to forgive me for what happened.”

“Right.” As if Bucky needed reminding. Every person in that car had betrayed Natasha in some way--Bucky by merely existing. “She’s wrapping up,” said Bucky. “Let’s head back.” They went back to the car. Natasha joined them en route, stuffing a wad of cash inside her purse.

“If there was one thing I learned from the Red Room, it was always save money in every place you can, and get it in cash,” Natasha told them. “If you’re on the run, pull it out a little bit at a time.”

“I never had the luxury of being that kind of an assassin,” said Bucky.

“Well, you may get to,” said Natasha.

“That’d be nice.” 

“What do you need all the cash for, anyway?” said Wanda. “How much did you get?”

“I got about two hundred dollars. Should be enough for a cheap hotel room tonight.” She looked at Wanda. “You want to sit up front with me?”

“Sure.” She gave Bucky a small shrug: Natasha could be nice when she wanted to, she guessed.

Steve scooted into the back middle between Sam and Bucky. Wanda liked sitting up front much better, since there was a little more leg room. But with Wanda up front, it was harder for Bucky to not think of what Natasha had said earlier, that she was afraid he’d have an episode while driving. He wasn’t feeling close to having one that day--just hurt that the people he needed to trust were afraid of him. 

In the late afternoon they crossed the Oklahoma state line. Natasha tuned into a pop radio station in Tulsa. They had one more seat change so that Sam could drive and Steve could sit passenger. Wanda sat in between Natasha and Bucky. They arrived in Tulsa at seven that evening. After about half an hour of driving around, they found a Comfort Inn and Suites and got out to check for a vacancy. Sam sat silently and waited while Bucky and Wanda made small talk about how sore they were. Steve returned to announce that he had booked a room for the guys. Natasha followed about five minutes later with a reservation for her and Wanda. Their rooms were in separate wings of the hotel, so Natasha drove the guys around to drop them off.

“So they actually know we’re together,” said Natasha, “but they didn’t seem too nosy about it. That’s a good sign.”

“Right,” said Steve, sounding like he didn’t care that much.

“You ever been to Oklahoma, Rogers?”

“I haven’t traveled that much, Nat, aside from working for S.H.I.E.L.D.. I--”

“What about when you were a chorus girl, Steve? The Captain America show, back during the forties?”

“Uh…”

“Come on,” said Natasha, giving him a grin.

“What Captain America show?” Bucky asked. 

“What, you don’t remember the star-spangled man in tights, Barnes?” Sam said cheekily.

Wanda blushed. Natasha had shown her a few clips from the old Captain America war films. 

“Bucky was overseas for when most of that happened,” Steve spoke up. “I’m pretty sure if he’d known about it he would have stopped me.”

“Known about what? What’s going on?” said Bucky, sounding alarmed.

“You know what, Buck, if there’s one thing from the past I’m glad you don’t remember--”

“Okay, okay, forget I asked,” said Bucky, retreating to his corner. 

“But anyway, to answer your question,” Steve resumed saying to Nat, “I don’t think there was really much worth stopping for in Oklahoma back then. I know we stopped in Kansas City twice, and both times people would come from the other nearby states to watch it.”

“Uh-huh,” said Natasha. She looked over her shoulder at Bucky. There was a bit of mischief in that grin she gave him--the satisfaction of knowing something worth teasing Steve about. 

Steve parked close to their designated room and popped the trunk. He and Sam and Bucky got their bags out. Natasha said she would come back in a few minutes to take them out to dinner, and she and Wanda went to their room. 

After getting settled in, the group decided on going out for Chinese food and went to a buffet a little ways down the street from their hotel. Steve and Sam chatted during the meal, making comments about a trip they had gone on a couple of years ago with Emily Bridger. Apparently Natasha had known Emily, too, and chimed in with a few comments.   
Wanda listened eagerly. Bucky had known Emily, too, but he didn’t feel like anything he’d done with her was worth sharing. They all returned to the hotel feeling full and content.   
Wanda gave the men hugs goodnight, Bucky included, although Bucky hadn’t been quite prepared for his. Steve and Sam went to sleep on their bed while Bucky laid awake on his, surfing the channels on the hotel cable. 

 

The plan was to leave at eight the following morning. Bucky slept fitfully and awoke around six, when the sky was beginning to turn gray. Steve woke up shortly after and got out of bed to take a shower. Bucky sat on the edge of his bed, looking out the window between a crack in the blinds, wondering what the day’s drive would bring, surprised that even with all of their bickering the trip yesterday had been uneventful.

Steve got out of the shower and shaved. He went to his bag on the floor to get a shirt out. Bucky watched him. 

“So if yesterday was when S.H.I.E.L.D. was going to attack Hydra,” Bucky wondered aloud, “then what happens today?”

“I dunno,” said Steve. “I suppose they just lick their wounds.”

Bucky hadn’t exactly wanted Steve to answer, but when Steve looked at him he held eye contact for a moment. 

“Have you done this kind of thing before?” Bucky asked him. 

“What kind of thing?”

“Well...road trips with people you don’t exactly like?”

“Well, happened as a matter of course with the Avengers,” said Steve. “But we usually flew for that.”

“How about the trip you took with Sam and Emily two years back, that you guys were talking about over dinner?”

Steve thought for a moment. “Well...you could say that we were already good friends when we hit the road. Emily and I had both barely met Sam...but of course the events of the last few weeks had brought us together--this was right after S.H.I.E.L.D. fell.”

Bucky cast a glance over at Sam.

“Don’t worry about him, he’ll sleep through anything,” said Steve. “But, anyway. Emily came to us saying she could sense you through the Force. She knew where you were heading, roughly.”

“I thought the Force didn’t exist on this planet,” said Bucky.

“You’d be surprised,” said Steve. “It worked for her just a little bit. Enough to give us a head start on finding you.”

Bucky knew perfectly well what Steve was talking about. But he didn’t want to talk about it with him. Remembering that someone else could reach his mind without laying a finger on him...it only scared him because he couldn’t understand it, and because Emily had asked him to do something for her that was very difficult for him. It was a wonder he was getting used to being around Wanda. Wanda’s powers were similar, sure...but at the same time she was quite different from Emily.

Bucky cursed quietly. “Why you doing all this for me, anyhow?”

“Because you’re my friend. I thought you understood that.” Steve looked sad.

He didn’t. “Look, we may have been, once...what I really want is to be able to figure myself out without you stepping on my feet all the time. Okay? Is that too much to ask?”

“No.”

Bucky stood up and faced him. “Then why can’t you leave me alone?”

Steve looked a little guilty. “Because after everything they did to you...I’m afraid for you, Bucky. I guess that’s what it boils down to. It’s not that I don’t think you can’t take care of yourself. It’s just that...other people are going to hurt you even more. They’ll come after you when you’re not looking. I just...I feel like the best I can do for you is to protect you. To go with you. Help you--if you let me.” Steve looked like he wanted to add “Please” but restrained himself.

Bucky shook his head. “I saved your life once. Wasn’t that enough?” 

Steve looked away.

“Steve...you don’t need to do any of this for me. Steve, you should have killed me. Anyone else would have put me out of my misery. Emily Bridger wanted to, at one point, didn’t she? What made you think I was worth saving?”

Steve looked up at him. “The fact that you were my friend. That mattered to me more than anything else. It still does. I knew that--if there was a chance that the man I once knew was still in there, somewhere inside the Winter Soldier--I had to save him, Bucky. I had to save you. And if there’s any chance that there is anything you’ll let me do for you, please, just let me come with you. I can help you get started in your new life. It won’t be easy for either of us.”

“Isn’t there somewhere else you would rather go?” Bucky protested. “Someone else you would rather be with?”

Steve looked like he needed to think about it. “No. This is the most important thing to me right now. Look, when I’m confident that you can take care of yourself--that there’s nothing else posing a threat to you--then I can leave you alone.”

“But you can’t before then? Why?”

Steve sighed. “I feel like...I want you to be happy because--I don’t have anywhere else to go right now. And I can’t just plunge off the deep end and head someplace I don’t know about--or be with people I don’t really know. I’m used to being close to you, I guess. I don’t know how much of this you remember but, my dad died when I was little. You and your family always looked out for me and my mom. And then my mom died a few years before the War. You were ready to take me in. You didn’t want me to go it alone. You...you told me you were with me to the end of the line.”

All of the arguments that Bucky was preparing to fire back evaporated. “Wait--I told you that?”

“That was you.”

Bucky shut his mouth and sat down on the bed again. Steve returned to getting dressed. Sam was starting to stir, so there wasn’t a further chance for them to talk.

Had he and Steve really once been such good friends? All Steve had done for him for the last two years was stalk him and disrupt the lonely existence he was carving out for himself. Angels and demons had shown him what should have been his memories. He’d seen dreams of happier times with Steve. All the evidence was in his face, and he refused to believe it. But now he wondered why.

Bucky got dressed. Sam woke up and showered and dressed as well. They went down to the hotel lobby for breakfast to meet with Natasha and Wanda. Wanda greeted them cheerfully, but was struck by Bucky’s sullen mood. They checked out of their rooms shortly after eight and returned to the open road. 

“So where do we want to stop tonight?” Steve asked. He was driving. Natasha had shotgun and Wanda was sitting in back between Sam and Bucky. 

“I think we could make it clear to Albuquerque today,” said Sam. “Or further. Stop for the night in Gallup or somewhere like that.”

“Hm, nah, too far. Albuquerque might be just right.”

“Is there any reason we could not go to Albuquerque?” Bucky spoke up from the back seat.

“Why do you not want to go there?” asked Natasha.

“That’s where he lived with his girlfriend,” Steve reminded her.

“Oh. Hm.”

“Well, you can’t really go around Albuquerque, the way we’re going,” said Sam. “Not a lot of roads leading around it. Unless you want to take the long way across Arizona and New Mexico, and be even more in the middle of nowhere than we’d be on the interstate.”

“Is there a place we could stop before Albuquerque?” Wanda asked.

Natasha consulted her phone. “There’s Santa Rosa. Smaller town but big enough to find hotel options. We’d be there about six.”

“It’ll do,” said Steve. 

“You really pandering to Barnes, Steve?” said Sam.

“I’m not pandering to him,” said Steve. I’m just being considerate of his needs. Besides, Bucky is wanted in Albuquerque on a trumped-up charge to do with Grace’s death. It wouldn’t look good if we were caught with him, according to Nat’s logic. It’s probably best not to stop there at all.”

Bucky thought he should probably thank them for the suggestion, but he wasn’t feeling too grateful to either Steve or Natasha at the moment. And he didn’t want to press for details about being wanted in Albuquerque--after Vienna he’d seen it all, he felt. He settled back down and began staring out the window. The countryside outside of Tulsa was mostly low hills and farmland. The terrain grew increasingly flat as they drove westward. In Oklahoma City, Sam and Steve switched places in the driver’s seat. Natasha stayed in the passenger’s seat in front of Bucky. She had the seat leaning back far enough as she napped that the headrest was touching his face, and her curly red hair fell backwards. Bucky blew at her curls but she didn’t notice. He found it hard to believe that Steve claimed he used to have a thing for redheads.

They stopped for lunch at a small-town cafe on the main street of Elk City, Oklahoma. Bucky had to tease Steve about how old some of the buildings were compared to the two of them. The cafe served a really mean reuben sandwich, which Sam and Bucky both ordered. Natasha got soup and salad and Steve and Wanda both had chicken sandwiches. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood--except Natasha couldn’t keep eye contact with him for some reason. Bucky watched her manners and her speech--maybe she was just this withdrawn from him all the time and he hadn’t noticed before. He couldn’t help thinking of why she wouldn’t let him drive--that she was afraid he couldn’t control his mind. Was she right to be afraid of him? More often than not, he did just fine--how could Natasha not see that?

Questions without answers chased themselves inside of Bucky’s head that afternoon as they drove drove into the Texas Panhandle. The towns became fewer, the farms expanded into broad, empty pastures and finally flat terrain with almost no life at all. And it was more brown than green. Bucky prefered to look at the sky. It was blue and wide and endless, and when he was bored with that he could look for clouds. 

Wanda was awake, trying to amuse herself listening to the fuzzy radio stations that Natasha tuned in and out of as she drove. In a fit of boredom, she glanced over at Bucky and made a weird face, scrunching her lips to one side. Bucky scrunched his whole face back at her. She broke into a quiet laugh. They then returned to sitting quietly. But Bucky felt like he wasn’t done teasing Wanda. He poked her shoulder with his good hand. When she looked at him, he simply grinned. Wanda poked him back. They ended up poking back and forth for a few minutes, going rapidly and then trying to see who could go the longest without poking. 

“Very funny, you two,” said Natasha.

Wanda leaned back onto Sam on accident. He woke from his nap with a start.

“Hey. What’re you doin’ ?” he asked, irritated.

“Oh, sorry,” said Wanda meekly.

“Is it him?”

“Maybe.”

Wanda and Bucky both sat up straight. Bucky poked her again and she giggled. Sam groaned and rolled his eyes.

“What?” Steve asked from the front, stirring in response to Sam’s noises of complaint.

“I didn’t sign up for this, Cap,” said Sam, swearing a little.

“Lighten up, Sam,” said Wanda.

“Yeah, Wilson, lighten up,” said Bucky.

“Not if you have anything to do with it,” said Sam. He tucked himself into his corner seat as far as possible. 

Bucky and Wanda were quiet for a moment. 

“So did you like living in New Mexico?” Wanda asked him quietly.

“Hm, me?”

Wanda nodded.

“Oh well--I guess I did. I mean, mostly because Grace was there. I was in the city most of the time I was with her. And even then we didn’t get out much...but, there was one time, when we went up to the mountains, stargazing.”

“Oh. Stargazing.”

“Yeah. We went to the other side of the mountains from the city. You could see millions of stars out there. It was...amazing.” Bucky’s eyes drifted toward the ceiling of the car, lost in thought.

“How romantic.”

He felt the need to steer the subject away from Grace. “You ever been out west?”

“Twice. To Arizona. Haven’t been out in the country much there, sadly.” Wanda talked to him about her previous visits to Arizona. He did listen intently when she described her and Natasha attacking the Hydra base near Payson. The silence, when they were done talking, was much sweeter, filled with thoughts of mountains and deserts and starlit skies. 

They arrived in Santa Rosa, New Mexico shortly before six. The first hotel they checked had only one vacancy, but the second one, a Best Western, had two in the same hallway. They went to their rooms to unpack. Bucky opted to take a shower before dinner, and he wore his hair in a ponytail to dinner. Steve sported the fake glasses that Natasha had gotten for him. They went to a sit-down cowboy restaurant in the touristy center of Santa Rosa. While they were waiting for their food, Bucky thought it would be funny to step on Wanda’s foot from under the table. Steve and Sam and Nat looked at her funny when she started to laugh for no reason. When they looked away, Bucky pushed her feet again. She was very hard put to keep a straight face, but she began pushing her feet on his. They were almost playing tug-of-war.

“Ugh, you guys, stop!” Natasha groaned.

Wanda pushed Bucky’s foot to one side and he ended up falling sideways onto Steve.

“Very cute, Bucky,” said Steve, giving him a patient smile and helping him sit up.

Bucky launched his foot across the floor towards Wanda. She pulled her foot away just in time--and he got Natasha’s foot instead.

“Barnes, I wish you would stop!” she snapped.

Bucky fell back, shamed. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

The waitress arrived with their drinks. Now it was Steve’s turn to get Natasha’s ire when he scrunched up his straw wrapper like a worm and then poured water on it.

“That’s cool,” said Wanda. “What is that?”

“It’s called worm racing,” said Steve. “Barton showed me how.” He looked up at Natasha. She had to give him a half a smile for that, but she still shook her head.

Back at the hotel, Steve did take a moment to lecture Bucky.

“I thought we were trying to avoid getting attention.”

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with having a little fun, is there?” Bucky told him.

“No, but too much fun, and people might think we were up to something. I’m just saying, in the future, try not to be so rambunctious in public. There’s a time and a place for that.”

Bucky gave Steve a look. 

“What?”

“Now, back in the day, wasn’t it me who was always telling you off for being reckless?”

Steve shrugged. He took that as a yes.

An hour or so later, after some unproductive channel-surfing, Bucky went out into the hallway to visit the ice machine with his gas station cup. Someone else was already at the machine--it was Natasha.

“Hello,” he said.

She looked at him but she didn’t reply.

He was tired of her being afraid of him. But he didn’t know what to say to her to change her mind.

She finished getting her ice and turned to leave. He was still watching her, wondering what they could possibly make idle conversation about. Or if he could.

“Aren’t you getting ice?” she asked him.

“Oh--oh right,” he said, stepping forward. “I guess I was lost in thought.” He got ice from the machine, but she didn’t go back to her room. She was still watching him when he finished.

“What’s up?” he asked her. “You okay?”

She didn’t say anything. She continued staring.

“I was just getting ice. So were you. Don’t superhumans need ice like everyone else?”

“I’m sure.”

“What time is it?” He checked the watch he’d gotten at the Bartons’. “I thought we were trying to get to bed early so we could pull out of here at six tomorrow.”

“I thought you were the one who wanted to take this lousy trip.”

Part of him wanted to ask her why she’d come with him if she was giving him attitude, but he knew better than to bite back. “So...you’re just getting some ice before bed, then. Like I am.”

“I was...hoping you would already be asleep,” she said.

Bucky shrugged. “I can’t sleep. Not with...stuff on my mind.” He wanted to make an offhand comment about being anxious to see his foster family again. But he felt Natasha wouldn’t want to hear it. He looked at her again. She was watching him, breathing slowly, poised to strike if he made a wrong move. But he wasn’t about to attack her right then--didn’t she know that?

“You can relax, you know.”

“I’m not sure I could if I wanted to.”

He wanted to ask her how he could help, but without knowing if she’d be able to say anything other than “I don’t know,” he wasn’t going to push the issue.

He knew he totally had the option of going back to his room without another word. Or he could just briefly say goodnight to her. Turn his back on her--as if nothing else he could do could make her feel threatened. 

But what if he told her the truth? Of how he really felt? Of what his waking days were really like? It wouldn’t hurt. Maybe they wouldn’t get into an in-depth conversation right there by the hotel ice machine. Or maybe it would. Either way, they would both be better off if he said something. 

“Look,” he said, swallowing briefly. “You are right to be afraid of me. It’s not just the words that trigger my programming. I left Hydra--” He broke off, feeling like he’d been speaking too fast. She was listening with a blank expression. “I left Hydra in the middle of a mission. My thoughts of--murder...killing people...fighting...filling my mission...training...I could tune it out after a while, but never completely turn it off. There were days when I’d feel it pulling on me, compelling me to...do things I didn’t want to...Everyone around me was a target, a potential victim. It was like they had completely removed me, and put something else in instead. Hydra--Hydra never completely left me.” He only looked at her, not daring to move any other part of his body as he spoke, but he was trembling, and in the back of his mind he was pleading for her to listen and not run away. 

Natasha didn’t look at all surprised--but hadn’t she said in the Bartons’ kitchen that his being triggered in Berlin hadn’t surprised her?

“So--your family. The Tanners. Did they know about this?”

“I can’t say I told them about it,” said Bucky. “Hillary told them about what I’d been through, and she must have guessed...that I was struggling. There were days at the garage that I’d just sit on the couch and not talk to anybody, watch TV. I was afraid of going off at any second. Loud noises, crying children--it didn’t take much.” He looked down at the ground. “I felt so weak.”

He felt a touch on his good shoulder--she had come closer to him. The look in her eyes--was it pity? Sadness? Understanding? 

“But there are days when you feel fine, too, right?”

“Right,” he said. 

She lowered her hand and backed away. “So it comes and goes, then. I get it.” She nodded slightly. “How have you been feeling recently, then?”

“Well...I was really down after the whole kerfuffle with Stark. I’m not...in a super-good mood, but I’m well enough to keep going.”

“Okay,” said Natasha. She smiled a little for him. “You excited to see your family?”

“Well, yes, but, I’m scared, too. I don’t know if they’ll want me back.”

She shook her head. “I don’t think the Doctor would have told you to go back to the Tanners if they didn’t want you. I’ve met him before.”

“I have, too. But I guess I don’t know him quite as well as you do.”

“I can’t say I know him too well. But I know that he knows what he’s doing.”

“Anyway, I just wanted to let you know--that it’s okay if you don’t trust me,” Bucky said. He hadn’t been planning on that last clause. That was just how it came out. Maybe that was what he needed to say to her. And maybe that was what he needed to accept: that Natasha neither liked him nor trusted him and that he’d have to live with that. “I guess I’m trying to make you feel better. I know you don’t like traveling with me.”

“You’re fine. Thanks for being upfront.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Goodnight.”

He watched her heading back to her hotel room. Before she opened the door, she turned back to look and she saw him standing there. And she smiled at him.

He tried not to mind the fact that his heart stopped for a moment when she saw that smile of hers--not flashy and cheeky, but soft and gentle and maybe not fully confident in him, but willing to give him the benefit of a doubt, for once. And not bad to look at, either. Was there a bit of flirtation with that smile, too? No, maybe that was too much to hope for. Natasha might warm up to him someday, but he doubted that she would ever want to be that close to him. 

As he walked back to his room, Bucky realized that he had come a lot farther with Natasha by admitting his weakness to her than trying to show her his strength. And as he fell asleep, he was thinking about that smile she’d given him. 

 

And there was something about his eyes that Natasha found herself thinking about when she was getting ready at five-thirty the next morning. Maybe it was just how different they looked when he wasn’t in full Winter Soldier mode--not empty and angry. Was she just getting used to being around him when he was...normal? It was kind of hard to think of him having a “normal” mode. But then again, so did most of her superhuman friends (the notable exception was Tony Stark, seeing as he was always Tony). Maybe it was the way Barnes’s eyes lit up when he smiled--like the picture of him on the Tanners’ piano. He had a funny smile, but she was starting to wonder if there was something more to it--something she liked about it. His eyes these days were just lonely and far away, just as they’d been when he was talking to her last night. But when Steve or Wanda got his attention to make him laugh, they lit up. 

She heard Wanda stirring in the other bed and tried hastily to think of something else, just in case. “It’s too early,” Natasha groaned.

“Too early for what?” Wanda asked.

“Nothing.”

Wanda got dressed and packed while Natasha finished doing her makeup. They then went to meet the boys for breakfast. Natasha and Bucky acknowledged each other but didn’t say much. He looked at her like he was trying to think of something to say to her--and she realized that he had that look a lot these days--but he focused on eating. No one in the group really felt like talking over their continental breakfast. Wanda was sad that they couldn’t stay longer so she could make herself a waffle, but bagels and cereal would have to do--they needed to be on the road as soon as possible. Steve shoved a final piece of buttered toast in his mouth and got crumbs on the dining room floor as he left to return to his hotel room. They checked out of their hotel and loaded their bags quickly. The sun was already rising. Natasha drove them out of Santa Rosa.

“So we’re going through Albuquerque in a bit?” Bucky asked from the back seat.

“In just an hour or so,” said Natasha.

“All right, then.” He tucked himself into the corner and closed his eyes. Natasha didn’t hear a peep out of him for the next two and a half hours. The morning rush hour was heavy in downtown Albuquerque, but manageable. Steve was awake in the front seat next to Natasha, and he looked wearily at the city outside.

Steve blamed himself for Grace’s death. The same way he blamed himself for everything.

“So the police here are after Barnes?” Natasha asked him.

“Yes,” Steve answered quietly.

“Has he been accused of killing Grace?”

“Not outright,” said Steve, eyeing one of the skyscrapers. “I’m told he’s mostly wanted for questioning about how she died--but I don’t see how there’s much of a difference.”

“I thought Coulson and Tanner identified it as Sneld for sure.”

“The local police never found her. And the state officials were paid to drop the case.”

“Hydra?”

“Yeah.” It was another item on a growing list of his unfinished business. Steve glanced back at Bucky. “If he’s ever--if he ever wants to come back here, and tell the police what happened...that would go a long way towards helping him with everything else he’s in trouble for.”

“It’d be a step, yeah,” said Natasha, signaling to change lanes.

“But...that’s something he has to do himself. Even the man he was back in the day wouldn’t have let me make him. And I’ve learned the hard way...to wait until he’s ready.”

Natasha was quiet for a moment. Then she said, “I don’t think you would’ve ever seen him again if you hadn’t gone after him.”

Steve looked at her.

“I’m just saying. Not that going after him was a good idea, but...who knows if he would have let you...or if the CIA or T’challa would have.”

“I was thinking after the whole thing with Rumlow had blown over, I’d go looking for him again.”

“Right. And then it didn’t.”

“Yeah. The Accords wouldn’t have--wouldn’t have left him alone. Ross would have dragged him in sooner or later. Someone would have. It was only a matter of time.”

Natasha begged to differ, seeing how Bucky claimed he had been ‘minding his own business’ in Romania. “Right. But did that mean it was a matter of time until you had to make a fool of yourself to stand up for him?”

“I guess so. Peggy dying and then the Vienna bombing--I guess it just moved the timetable.” He looked at Natasha. “You know, if things had been different--if I’d been a little more in control of the situation, and maybe if Bucky hadn’t been caught up in it--I would have gone along with it. I was ready to sign the Accords in Berlin, really. I just--” he broke off.

“Well, that’s the problem, Rogers,” said Natasha. “Nobody is going to give you everything you want.”

“Right. That’s also something I’ve learned recently.”

Away from the city, I-40 west led them across a wide prairie of sagebrush and desert scrub. Natasha pulled over for gas in Grants, and Bucky jerked awake with a groan when she got off the exit ramp to the pavement. Sam and Wanda had been asleep, too, and they awoke. Bucky lifted his hat up to run his hand over his hair and forehead.

“Hey, look who’s awake,” said Natasha when she noticed him stirring.

“How’d you sleep, Buck?” Steve asked him.

“Fine. Where are we?”

“Just outside of Grants.”

“Anybody want to stop for a stretch and a bathroom break?” Natasha asked.

“I’m in,” said Sam.

“I’m for it,” said Steve.

“Go ahead,” said Bucky. He needed a stretch anyway. But it was probably no use arguing, seeing that the car was already pulling up to a service station.

 

The early morning air in Grants was cool and breezy, with a faint hint of cedar. He liked it.

Bucky took a moment to enjoy the view while he was at the gas station. The terrain here was a lot hillier than it was in Santa Rosa, but it was also very brown. Mostly sagebrush with a few larger plants here and there. 

When they got back in the car, they kept the same seating arrangement, but Sam offered to drive later in the day for Natasha. 

“So how long until we get to Flag?” Bucky leaned up to ask the driver.

She looked startled. “You mean Flagstaff, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m pretty sure we just passed the mile sign,” said Steve.

“I think another four hours, and we should be there,” said Natasha. “So shortly after noon.”

“Okay.” Bucky leaned back in his chair and gave Wanda a casual poke in the shoulder.

Natasha had to ask him something. “You do realize that ‘Flag’ is the shorthand for ‘Flagstaff’ that people from Arizona use, right?”

“Yeah. So what? I’m from there.”

“Never mind,” said Natasha.

Wanda looked up at Steve in the passenger’s seat. She noticed that his face looked ashen.

Sam must have noticed too. He leaned up and said to Steve, “Hey: at least it’s not New Jersey.”

Steve made a face and shook his head. Sam’s comment didn’t help that much.

“Nice try, Wilson,” said Natasha.

Natasha attempted to entertain herself while driving by tuning in to the local radio stations. Bucky and Wanda were talked quietly in the back, making comments about their friends and their choice of music.

“Is it just me or does Wilson sound a little off-key?” he whispered in her ear when Sam was humming along to the lyrics of a Bruno Mars song.

“I’ve heard him actually try to sing. This time he wasn’t trying.”

A short while later: “You heard this song?”

“Yeah. It was on the radio all last year when I worked at the garage. And it got stuck in my head more often than not, when the radio was off.”

“Oh. It used to give me a headache.”

“So does Steve still listen to hits from back in the day or what?”

“Not all the time. Just when he’s by himself. He keeps a record player in his apartment.”

“A what?”

“A record player. You know--it plays giant vinyl discs with music on them.”

“I’m sorry, you’ve lost me.” 

Wanda opened her mouth to explain, but she noticed that Steve was listening. “Never mind.”

As the landscape turned into mesas and mountains, the radio signal would be interrupted. It was a bonus when Sam and Natasha were singing along to an annoying pop song but then got cut off. Bucky and Wanda both laughed audibly. Natasha searched for another radio station and turned into a very twangy country song. Steve gave her a look.

“Ugh, eww,” said Bucky.

“Ew!” said Wanda.

“Change it to something else!”

“Natasha, either you change the station or I’ll change it for you.”

Natasha hit the search button again and came across a Gallup news channel. “You know, I was gonna change it anyway. Wanda, please don’t threaten me.”

“Argh, let’s just turn it off,” said Steve.

“Okay then,” said Natasha.

There was silence in the car again. Steve and Sam and Natasha made conversation while Bucky and Wanda decided to silently poke and prod each other. Wanda even used her powers to turn the brim of his hat to one side.

“What are you laughing at, Bucky?” Steve asked.

“Nothing. Wanda and I are just being silly.”

“Okay, okay.”

Gallup, New Mexico was surrounded by enormous red mesas. They pulled into a gas station for a short break. Natasha went inside to buy herself a sandwich. When she returned, she switched seats with Sam, Sam taking over the driver’s seat and Natasha sitting next to Wanda. Natasha ate her sandwich in large, hearty bites.

“So I guess we’re only a few miles to the state line, then,” said Bucky. “How about that?”

“So what are you most excited for, when you see your family again?” Wanda asked him.

“Well...I dunno. A lot of things. It’d be nice to have a roof over my head and some food to eat, when we get there. If they let me stay.”

“Well why wouldn’t they?”

“Do you think they haven’t seen the news?”

Wanda shook her head. “Bucky, they would never think any less of you--”

“Even considering that I was framed and later brainwashed, a lot of people still got hurt, from what I did. From what happened because of me.” He folded his arms sulkily. “I do want to see the Tanners again, really. If they don’t let me stick around more than a few minutes, so be it.”

Wanda shook her head. “So fatalistic. If you did anything wrong, it was only in trying to protect yourself. They’d never blame you. I don’t.” 

Bucky poked the tip of Wanda’s nose. “I think you’re being way too optimistic.”

“Doesn’t hurt.”

“He’s right you know, Wanda,” Natasha spoke up. “A lot of people in the general public don’t have a high opinion of the Winter Soldier these days. Even if you were framed, you caused a lot of damage, trying to escape custody. That’s just the facts.” Natasha pulled open a web app on her phone. “How many people were hurt in Romania, when that parking garage fell--”

“I’m not trying to excuse my behavior,” said Bucky.

“Well, it sounds like you are,” she said. 

Wanda suddenly pulled her arms closer to herself, feeling uncomfortable between the two of them. 

“I did what I had to. I always do. But being a super-soldier, that means much more destruction than an ordinary person would make. Do you think I like that?”

“I didn’t say you were okay with it, but you don’t stop and think about how to get the job done without making a mess. You’re worse than Steve.”

“Hey, they were trying to take me,” said Bucky. “What was I supposed to do, ask them kindly, ‘I want to be locked in a box and think about what I’ve done?’”

Wanda looked up at Bucky and gave him a nod. “Word.”

“Nice one, Buck,” said Steve from the front seat. 

“Score one for Barnes,” said Sam. “Romanoff, got a comeback?”

Natasha scowled. “Not off the top of my head.” 

Everyone fell silent for a moment. Wanda didn’t resume their conversation from earlier just yet. Bucky watched as the sign for the Arizona state line came into view and they passed it. Wanda looked back at the sign, unsure if this was going to be her new home or if it was just another stop on her journey. 

“So what are you looking forward to, then?” Bucky asked Wanda.

“What?”

“The Tanners?”

“Oh. Just...seeing Hillary again, even if briefly,” said Wanda. “The past few weeks have been rough for her. Maybe seeing us again could cheer her up a bit, you know?”

“Yeah, I think so. But I don’t really want to be a burden on the family again, you know?”

“You weren’t a burden to them, Buck,” Steve told him from the back seat. “They were very happy to take care of you.”

“I know, Steve. But things are different this time. There’s other people besides S.H.I.E.L.D. looking for me--for all of us. We can’t ask the Tanners to risk getting in trouble for us.”

“Bucky, we’ll just wait and see when we get there, okay?” said Steve.

Bucky fell silent. 

“So where are we sleeping tonight?” Sam asked.

“I don’t think the Tanners have a lot of room, to be honest,” said Bucky. “We could just have one or two of us stay at their house, if they let us, and the rest could get a hotel somewhere close.”

“I’m tired of hotels,” Sam said.

“Me too,” said Steve. “If I’d been smart, I would’ve started looking for apartments before now. Natasha, have you started?”

“Yeah, but I haven’t decided on anything yet,” said Natasha. “I figured I’d wait and see what my prospects were. See if I can get a job somewhere. But I may go stay in another hotel for the short term.” 

Wanda looked at Natasha, but Natasha was on her phone. Natasha wasn’t ready to say if she wanted Wanda to come and live with her again.

There was silence in the car for a few minutes as they continued their drive through the eastern reaches of Arizona. Bucky occupied himself with looking out the window for a few minutes. When he grew tired of that, he poked Wanda’s shoulder again.

“Poke.”

She gave a quiet shake of laughter and then fell still. After waiting a few seconds, she slowly poked Bucky on his metal shoulder.

“Poke.”

He grinned. This was too much fun. They poked back and forth for a while. Bucky got Wanda in the stomach with a tickle attack. She squirmed away from him and onto Natasha. 

“Hey, you guys, cut it out,” she said irritably.

“Oh, sorry,” said Wanda, straightening up.

Bucky got an idea. Slowly, he reached over Wanda’s back with his arm and then delivered a poke to Natasha’s right shoulder.

“Poke.”

She jumped, giving a half-yell of surprise. “What was that for?”

“It’s just a friendly poke.”

“‘Friendly’?” 

“Oh, you don’t like that?”

“No. Please don’t do it again.”

Natasha resumed scrolling on her phone. Bucky reached around Wanda’s front this time and poked Natasha’s arm. She tried to ignore it the first couple of times. Then she tried to brush him away.

“Would you please stop it?” Natasha said irritably.

“Guys, guys,” Steve spoke up, turning back to look at them. “Please, no killing each other in the car. A few more hours, come on. We’re almost there. I thought you already took out your aggression back at Barton’s.”

“We’re not being aggressive. I’m just trying to get her to lighten up.”

“Where are we?” Natasha asked. 

“Almost to Chambers,” said Sam.

“Good, pull over,” said Natasha. “Steve, you can sit yourself back here and let Bucky bother you. You’d probably like that.”

Sam pulled off the interstate at a small store. Steve and Natasha both got out of the car and switched seats.

“That’s what they call a Chinese fire drill, right?” Steve asked.

“Whatever,” said Natasha. She leaned her seat back, thankfully falling short of Bucky’s face. He had to resist the urge to reach over her head and poke her face or something stupid like that--he could think of less painful ways to die.

If Steve had hoped to take a few pokes from Wanda and Bucky, he was mistaken. They kept their hands to themselves and sat in sullen silence for the next half an hour. 

I-40 west passed along the fringes of the Navajo reservation through hills covered with yellow brush that reflected dully in the sunlight. With the exception of a few clouds on the horizon, the sky arched above them clear and blue. It was a beautiful day. 

“We’re coming up to Holbrook,” said Sam as they passed several billboards announcing attractions in the next town. “Anyone wanna stop here?”

“Nah, I’m good,” said Steve. Wanda and Bucky didn’t voice any disagreement. 

“What’s after that?” asked Bucky.

“The sign back there said Joseph City, and then Winslow. Flagstaff is after that.”

“We can wait until Flagstaff, I guess,” said Bucky.

On their right side, they saw some of the cliffs of the painted desert on dramatic display as they approached Holbrook. The town itself was in a little valley while the Interstate   
wound along the hillside. They passed signs announcing highways that turned off to towns elsewhere.

“There’s a town called Snowflake, in Arizona?” Wanda asked.

“Yeah,” said Bucky. “Weird, huh?”

“Well, why is it called Snowflake if it doesn’t snow so much here?”

“It’s one of those old pioneer towns,” he said. “I heard someone talking about it once. Apparently there was a guy named Snow and a guy named Flake, and they decided to name the town after both of them.”

Wanda still found that absurd.

They left Holbrook behind, and they passed through Joseph City in the blink of an eye. Then they went past a large power plant with enormous smokestacks. Beyond these, Wanda saw a range of large mountains come into view directly ahead of them. 

“When I left Mesa on the Greyhound last year, we went through Flagstaff. And Flagstaff is just right before we hit those mountains,” Bucky explained as he pointed to the mountains.

The desert between them and the mountains was very flat, plains interspersed with shallow ridges and clefts with a thin covering of plants and orange earth visible underneath. A railroad track ran parallel to the interstate, and they were not quite to Winslow when Wanda saw a train going by in the opposite direction.

Natasha yawned and woke up from her nap, pulling her chair up. Bucky felt like he could breathe again. 

“You feeling better now, Nat?” Steve asked her.

“Yes I am, thank you,” she said. “Where are we?”

“Almost to Winslow.”

“Winslow, huh?”

“Who is Winslow named after?” Wanda asked Bucky aside.

“No idea.”

“‘Standing on a corner, in Winslow Arizona,’” Natasha sang suddenly. She hummed a few more bars of the song. “No idea how it goes. Rogers, you heard that song?”

“What song?”

“Standing on a corner in Winslow--”

“I might’ve, yeah,” said Steve. “You wanna stop and get a picture here?”

“Yeah, totally,” said Natasha. “We’ll post it on Instagram, let the whole world where to look for us.” 

“What?” said Bucky.

“I’m just kidding. I closed my Instagram account, anyway.” 

As the miles to Flagstaff counted down, he grew more impatient to arrive there and start heading south to Mesa. ‘Excited’ wasn’t the word he would use--more like ‘anxious.’ The interstate rose into the low hills surrounding Flagstaff--or judging by their peculiar shape, cinder cones from ancient volcanoes. The desert scrub gave way to junipers and then ponderosa pines. 

“I wasn’t aware there were trees in Arizona,” said Sam.

“These are just pine trees,” said Bucky. “You’ll find them in the higher elevations--the mountains and such. I don’t think the other kind of trees do that well in these parts--or the desert, for that matter. But yeah, there’s trees here.”

Steve, Bucky and Wanda were feeling a little hungry when they finally reached Flagstaff. Sam pulled off the interstate to gas station overlooking the freeway so they could buy snacks. Steve offered to drive down to Mesa, and invited Bucky to sit in the passenger seat.

“You know the address for the Tanners’ shop?” said Natasha, handing Bucky her phone.

“Yeah.” The GPS app was already up. He remembered the address from the top of his head.

Steve put the car into drive and returned to I-40. A few short miles down the road was the turnoff to I-17 and Phoenix: they had reached the last leg of their journey.


	11. Where the Heart Is

The forest didn’t extend very far to the south of Flagstaff, and once they had entered lower elevation it gave way to ugly bushes and scrub plants.

“You been this way before, Buck?” Steve asked him.

“No,” he answered, looking around at the tall, bare mountains. “‘Cept when the Greyhound to Denver came this way.” The closer they got to Phoenix, the more he started to look for familiar landmarks. Not finding any, he kept up a running commentary about the landmarks they passed. 

“Is there a Little Bug around here?” Bucky wondered aloud when they passed a sign for a town called Big Bug.

“Very funny, Barnes,” said Sam, keeping his arms folded. 

He tried pronouncing some of the Spanish names on the signs they passed. Natasha corrected him impatiently. But he didn’t have any trouble pulling off Aguas Frias.

“Wonder why they call it Aguas Frias?” he said. “Maybe the water there is actually cold. Or maybe it just feels cold, because everything around it is so hot. And why do they bother naming the creeks? There’s no water in them.”

“Well, there might be water in them when it rains,” said Wanda.

He had to consider that: he had seen some pretty fierce rainstorms around here, although at different times of the year. Natasha was rubbing chapstick on her lips, while Wanda licked hers as the air outside the car became drier. Bucky could feel an oppressive heat outside of the windows.

He heard an odd noise off to his side. Steve was nodding his head a little to a tune he was humming under his breath.

“What are you singing?”

“One of the old hits,” said Steve. He started to sing softly:

 

“Gonna take a sentimental journey,  
Gonna set my heart at ease,  
Gonna take a sentimental journey  
To renew old memories…”

 

“I don’t remember it,” said Bucky.

“Well, I do,” said Steve. “Kind of a ‘sentimental journey’ for you, isn’t it?”

Bucky gave him a wry smile. “That’s clever, Steve.”

Steve sang through the rest of the song quietly.

 

“Never knew my heart could be so yearny.  
Don’t know why I had to roam,  
Gonna take a sentimental journey,  
Sentimental journey home.”

 

The saguaro cacti appeared suddenly on the mountainsides. It was good that the vegetation was looking familiar, at least. Bucky was watching them through the window when he felt a touch on his left arm. It was from Wanda. It had been meant as comfort, even though his metal arm was the closest part of him she could reach.

The landscape widened out, and shopping centers and buildings rose for the desert floor. Bucky had no idea where they were. He’d never been to this part of town. There were low mountains in the distance but even when he stretched for a better look he couldn’t discern their shapes. They passed exit signs for the city streets but none of them had familiar names.

He checked the GPS as it announced that they needed to turn onto the 101 Loop.

“It’s the 202 that goes by the Tanners’ house, right?” Steve checked.

“Right.” The whole drive from Flag, he’d felt like it would only take a matter of minutes instead of hours to arrive in Mesa, and yet the closer they got the longer the time seemed to stretch.

He knew he had adrenaline in him, but it wasn’t the tense, fearful kind he’d had to put up with for the last two weeks. In fact, he didn’t understand how he felt, because he didn’t know what to expect.

“You okay, Buck?” Steve asked.

“Yeah,” Bucky answered, taking a deep breath.

The GPS announced that they were only a mile from the exit for the 202. There was a street sign for McKellips Road--that looked familiar. Bucky felt himself relax.

“So where’s the auto shop, then?” said Steve. He began to turn onto the 202 loop.

“It’s off of Brown Road,” said Bucky. “Past Country Club.”

Bucky half-expected Steve to comment about his trip to Mesa last March when he and Sam had visited Tanner Automotive and almost caught him. But whether or not Steve remembered where it was from that trip or from his visit since, he didn’t say anything. It didn’t matter. The mountains in the distance fell into recognizable shapes--Camelback and then Red Mountain, the silhouette of Four Peaks in the background. He relaxed.

They got onto the 202 and started watching the street names. First Dobson, then Alma School--they were so close…

He wasn’t sure he recognized the first few buildings he saw on Brown Road right off the freeway. But only a few blocks away was the auto parts store where Greg worked, and then Tanner Automotive was right across the street. Most of the parking lot at the service garage was taken up by a large white suburban with black windows.

“That’s the Tanners’ suburban,” Bucky said.

“I’ve been in it,” said Wanda, though Bucky didn’t quite hear her. The bay doors of the business were open and the stalls were full. He saw people inside working on cars but he didn’t recognize them quite yet.

He was shaking.

Steve pulled into a parking spot close to the street and turned off the car.

“Everybody out?” Sam asked.

“Go ahead,” said Steve. Steve was the first one to step outside. He pulled his baseball cap low over his face and put on his fake glasses. Wanda, Sam, and Bucky got their hats on while Natasha slipped on her oversized sunglasses. Everyone stood still for a moment and took stock of the heat--the car thermometer had read 98 degrees. 

“I could get used to this,” Steve said.

“Keep dreaming, Rogers,” Sam answered him.

Bucky had no sooner stepped out of the car when he saw someone in a white shirt standing just inside of the garage. Trey Tanner had looked up when he saw the car pull in and watched while its passengers came out. And now he walked across the parking lot to greet them.

Bucky didn’t think he could hold himself back just then. He walked quickly ahead of the others to meet Trey and hugged him.

“What are you doing here?” Trey said when he pulled back.

“It’s good to see you,” was all Bucky could manage in answer. “Is Jo here?”

“As a matter of fact, she is,” said Trey. “We just barely got back from Utah this morning. We had to evacuate because of Hydra--didn’t you know they were here?”

“Yes, we did.”

Steve had approached Trey and Trey turned to greet him before he could ask Bucky anything else. 

“Captain, it’s good to see you,” Trey said when they shook hands.

“Please, call me Steve. But it’s good to see you too.”

Trey shook hands with Sam. “Mr. Wilson, how are you?”

“I suppose I’m fine.”

“Natasha, how are you?”

“As good as can be expected, Mr. Tanner.”

“Wanda.” Trey expected to shake hands with her, too, but she ran up and gave him a hug. “I thought you were in prison.”

“We escaped,” said Wanda. “We had some help from Steve.”

Trey looked at Steve and laughed. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Let me take you guys inside.” They followed him towards the garage. “Where did you guys come here from?”

“Indiana. We left Santa Rosa at six this morning,” said Steve.

“And how did you get here?”

“That’s a good question.”

Two people inside of the garage shouted “Bucky!” and came running out. Bucky was hugged by both of them before he was ready.

“How’s it goin’, bro!” one of them said.

“About time you showed up!” said the other.

“Ha ha,” said Bucky. “Pablo--Benny--good to see you guys again.” 

“Dude, you were on the news!” said Pablo. “You didn’t tell us you were the Winter Soldier!”

“That’s some hardcore stuff, man,” said Benny.

“Dude, show us the am!”

Bucky shyly rolled up the sleeve of his jacket, enough to flash some of the metal.

“Awesome!” said Benny. Pablo cussed.

“Boys, boys, we have customers around,” Trey chided them. Benny and Pablo patted Bucky on the shoulders while another one of their associates walked up. 

“Bucky. It’s nice to see you again,” he said, shaking hands.

“You too, TJ.” They exchanged greetings.

“Why don’t we give Bucky and his friends some privacy?” Trey suggested. “Let’s get back to work, shall we?”

TJ, Pablo, and Benny returned to the cars they had been working on. Trey shepherded Bucky and his companions into the shop. 

“Where’s Adam?” Bucky asked.

“He has the day off today,” Trey explained.

Jo Tanner was in the waiting area. She looked up as they walked in, and her jaw dropped. And then she and Bucky were hugging.

“I thought I’d never see you again,” she said as she squeezed him and caressed him tenderly. “I’ve missed you!”

“I missed you too.”

“I can’t believe it, you’re all right!”

“More or less,” said Bucky shakily. “Here...erm, you’ve met Steve, right?” Bucky turned aside to present his friends. Jo hadn’t met Sam before, but she was already familiar with everyone else. She gave an especially tender hug to Wanda, going off on how unfair it was for Ross to imprison her.

“Have a seat, why don’t you all?” said Jo. They spread out onto the couches in the living room. 

“So what brings you here, boys--and ladies, too?” Trey asked, nodding at each of them as he held hands with his wife. 

“We got word that Hydra was rebuilding here,” said Steve.

“Yes, so we’ve been told,” said Jo. “We were out of town for the last week--we just barely got back. We haven’t even stopped by the house yet. But we had to evacuate because Hydra sent out a death threat. They said they’d kill us--” Jo looked at Bucky. “You didn’t need to come back, love.”

“I at least wanted to make sure you were okay,” said Bucky, sounding more confident.

“It wasn’t your fault, son,” said Trey.

“I know. But--we’d like to help out S.H.I.E.L.D., if we can. We’re all on the run. We thought we might as well.”

“So are you here to stay or to visit?”

“To stay,” said Bucky. “Not forever, but maybe like a few months to a year. Long enough to stop Hydra.”

“How did you find out about the situation here?” Jo asked. “Natasha, did you know?”

“I found out from them,” said Natasha.

“It’s a long story, Jo,” said Steve. “We’d like to meet with Hillary, too, if we could explain it to you all at once. And maybe here isn’t the safest place.”

Trey sighed. “We haven’t even seen Hillary yet since we got back. She’s had to work--do you know that S.H.I.E.L.D. and the SWAT team went after a Hydra base--”

“On Wednesday, yes, we know about that,” said Steve. “It’s complicated.”

“I did just get a text saying she was heading back to the house now,” said Jo. “She was staying in a hotel while we were gone, just in case--”

Bucky hung his head.

“It’s not your fault, dear. You weren’t around,” Jo said. “Evil always does just whatever it wants. It doesn’t wait for you to come back.”

“I know,” said Bucky. “But--I won’t be hiding this time. I’m here to fight back. So you said Hillary would be heading back to the house? How long ago did she text you?”

“About ten minutes. She was staying in a hotel in Tempe close to the S.H.I.E.L.D. office, but she was just checking out when she told me. She could be there by now.”

“All right, then,” said Bucky, rising to his feet. “I just want to meet with her alone for a few minutes. Is it okay if I do that?”

Trey nodded solemnly.

“Can I go with you?” Steve asked him, standing also.

“You can drive for me, if you like,” said Bucky. “Do the rest of you mind waiting?”

“Nah, we’re good,” said Sam.

“So will you come back for us or--” Wanda asked.

“We can take you in the suburban in a few minutes,” said Trey. “I had a few more things to clear up--just business items I need to catch up on.”

“I don’t mind waiting, then,” said Natasha. “Steve, do you have my phone?”

“Yes,” he said. He handed it back to her. “We’ll see you at the Tanners’ house, then.” Jo stole an extra hug from Bucky, and then Trey walked Steve and Bucky back to their car.

“You know, if you know the way, you can drive, if you want to,” said Steve when Trey left them.

“Really?” said Bucky, looking up at him.

“You feeling up to it?”

He couldn’t say no. He got into the driver’s seat, and Steve passed him the keys. 

“This is sure a nice car,” Bucky said when they were on the road.

“Yeah, it’s great,” said Steve. “That reminds me, Natasha said we could keep it once we got here. She wanted to get a new one.”

“Wouldn’t mind that,” said Bucky. “As long as I never have to squeeze in the back seat again.”

The traffic was tolerable for three in the afternoon. 

“Has this place changed much?” Steve asked.

“Not really,” Bucky told him. “Haven’t been gone long enough for much to change.”

They pulled onto the side street that led into the Tanners’ neighborhood, passing a church and then driving down a few blocks before turning again.

Around one more corner, and there it was. Home. With a familiar car parked outside.

“She’s here,” said Bucky. He pulled Natasha’s car onto the curb behind it. He pulled the keys from the ignition.

“You want me to come in with you?” Steve asked. 

“Actually, if you don’t mind waiting for a few moments,” Bucky told him.

“All right, then,” said Steve. “Just leave me the keys, then, so I can turn the A/C on.” 

Bucky passed him back the car keys. Steve smiled at him but didn’t say anything. He didn’t know what to say at that moment. Bucky gave him a small smile back, and he got out of the car.

 

Hillary had arrived only a minute earlier. She entered the house. Everything was silent. There was no sign that no one else had arrived before her. And nothing to indicate that Hydra had attempted to break in. No bombs, no tripwires. Nothing desecrated.

She was home, but there had been no one to come home to. She had been the last to leave, and now she was the first to return. And it was just as she’d left it.

She pulled her rolling suitcase onto the living room carpet, parking it right next to the rocking chair. She would unpack later. But first, she wanted to do something normal.

Hillary pulled out the piano bench and sat down at the piano. But she was beside herself as what to play. She might as well play something from “Frozen,” for her nieces and nephews who would be coming back soon, she hoped.

She played “Do You Want to Build a Snowman,” starting with the intro. She heard the back door open and close and the footsteps of someone walking in, but the loud notes from the piano muffled the noise as she played the first verse. 

Hillary played the first refrain, but then someone stuck their left hand onto the keyboard for the echo. All three hands on top of the piano went still.

Hillary turned around and stood up. It was him.

She hugged him as hard as she could, tried to give him all the hugs she’d wanted to give him this last year in one squeeze. And he was hugging her back so hard she thought he would break her ribs. And then she pulled back to look at him. Still the same face framed with untidy hair, still the same sad eyes peeking out from under a baseball cap. Yet he was smiling. His smile was worth everything in the world.

She kept expecting him to say something, and he didn’t. She didn’t speak, either. The moment was too happy for them to ruin the silence. But she found herself speaking to him in a way she never thought she would be able to communicate with anyone--heart to heart, mind to mind. 

It’s you.

Yes, it’s me.

And you’re here.

I made it back.

You’re home.

I’m home.

Are you okay?

Yes, I’m fine. But I’m all right. I’m here now.

I’ve missed you so much.

I missed you, too.

I love you.

I love you.

They hugged again. Hillary was ready to burst out crying on his shoulder--

She had to pull back to ask him, “How did you get here?”

He shook his head. “Long story.”

She gave a short laugh. 

“But how are you doing?”

“Oh--I’m just--so happy to see you again,” was all she could manage, and she hugged him again. “Please, let’s sit down.” They went over to the couch.

“What happened here?”

Now she was actually crying, but the tears went from happy to sad in an instant. “Hydra--Hydra came back. They threatened to destroy everything. They sent a video message with a death threat to my family. As soon as we found their base out in Peoria we went and attacked them--that was just the other day--we had the SWAT team and the police come with us--so many people died. So many. Agent Parsons, my old b-b-boss. They killed him. Jamie Sneld and that horrible Aaron Tueller.” She sobbed for a few seconds. “Bucky. I don’t know if it was safe for you to come back here. They wanted to take you.”

“I know. Come here.” He let her cry on his shoulder some more. It was so good to see him again, and so good that he was here when she needed the comfort. When she was done, she wiped her face on her jacket sleeve.

“I’m sorry, Hillary. I would have come sooner--I wish I had. But what else is happening? Do you have any good news for me?”

She smiled weakly. “I’m getting married.”

“To who? Mark?”

“Yes.”

“Congratulations!” He patted her on the back.

“Thanks--well, we’re not formally engaged yet, actually. He still hasn’t gotten me a ring.” A tear leaked from her eye and she brushed it away, smiling. “Mark had to leave, too, when Hydra came back. But he should be home today. He said he’d come by and visit. Did you come here with anyone?”

Bucky grinned. “I would’ve come here anyways, but that darn Steve Rogers--he won’t let me out his sight. And we had a few people tag along with us. They’re back at the garage.”

“Steve’s here?” Her face lit up.

“Yes.”

Hillary couldn’t sit still a moment longer. She ran out of the living room and the kitchen to the back door, with Bucky following behind her.

“STEEEEEEVE!” she shouted as she ran out to the driveway. Steve was sitting in a car parked on the curb right behind hers. He got out and ran up to hug her, picking her up and swinging her. Hillary was laughing and crying all at once.

“It’s good to see you too, Hillary,” said Steve, giving a nervous chuckle when he put her down. 

“I’m just glad you’re all right. Coulson was afraid you’d died--I was afraid--”

“I was afraid for you.” Steve gave her a good squeeze. Hillary had missed Steve’s hugs--he was like a giant teddy bear. A very muscly one, but still. And then she realized something.

“What?” Steve asked when he saw Hillary staring into space.

She glanced back at Bucky. And then she grabbed him and drug him closer to Steve. “I can’t--I can’t believe it--the two of you--together again. It’s a miracle.” She was crying openly. She had Steve’s hand in her right and Bucky’s in her left. She stood back and looked at both of them, just beaming at them. And then she pulled them together and hugged both of them as best she could.

“Come off it, Hillary,” said Bucky.

“Um, Hillary?” Steve asked.

She laughed. “Isn’t this what you guys wanted?”

“It’s what he wanted,” said Bucky.

Hillary relented, laughing awkwardly. “Sorry.”

“Nah, it’s okay,” said Steve. “I guess we’re both fond of you.”

“Well, come on, why don’t you come in the house, Steve?” said Hillary. She led him by the hand to the back door. Bucky was happy to follow.

“So where’s Coulson?” Steve asked once they were inside.

“Coulson! Oh my gosh, I need to tell Coulson you guys are here!” she said. She ran for her purse on the kitchen counter to get out her phone. “Coulson is back at S.H.I.E.L.D.’s office in Tempe. And he--oh. Well, anyway. He’s been worried sick about you guys.”

“I’ll bet he has,” said Steve as Hillary typed an urgent text.

 

COULSON. GET OVER TO MY HOUSE. NOW. IT’S AN EMERGENCY.

 

“So how did you guys get here?” Hillary asked. 

“Well,” said Bucky. “We drove here. From Indiana.”

“Indiana.”

“Barton’s house,” said Steve. “Remember the Doctor?”

“Oh, how could I? He helped you out?”

“Yes he did.”

“A lot more help than I really wanted, actually,” Bucky commented.

“Right, right. Is he the one who helped you with the prison escape? Coulson told me about the Raft.”

“Yes, he did,” said Bucky.

“Well, not really,” said Steve. “He gave us a place to hide before dropping us off at Barton’s. It was T’challa who helped with the escape.”

“T’challa? The Black Panther?”

“The very same?”

Hillary looked aghast at them. “I thought he had it in for you guys.”

“We thought he did too,” said Bucky. “Must’ve changed his mind.”

“That’s incredible,” said Hillary.

“We’ll tell you the whole story when your parents get here,” said Bucky. “We thought we’d wait for them to come here.”

“Have you already seen them?” said Hillary.

“Yes. The garage was our first stop,” said Steve.

“Boy, weren’t the boys glad to see me,” Bucky said, shaking his head.

“I’m sure.”

Hillary’s phone buzzed.

I’m on my way over.

“Coulson says he’s on his way,” said Hillary. “So, pending traffic, he’ll be fifteen to twenty minutes. So how long are you guys staying here?”

“Long enough to kick Hydra out of here,” said Bucky. “That’s why the Doctor came and got us, as a matter of fact. He said S.H.I.E.L.D. was having a hard time beating them on their own.”

Hillary sighed. “You have no idea.” She started telling them about what had happened since their phone call in Berlin--Hydra’s double-bombing in Mesa, the prison breaks, the investigation, the Peoria attack. Steve was asking her for details when they heard a car pull up outside and people coming into the house through the back door. The first person she saw was--

“DAD!” Hillary ran up to her father and hugged him tenderly. Then she hugged her mother.

“How was the trip?”

“It was fine,” said Jo. Hillary looked up and saw--

“WANDA!”

She ran past her mother and hugged Wanda Maximoff as hard as she could. 

“Hillary, I am so glad to see you,” said Wanda. 

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I am doing fine,” said Wanda.

Hillary turned and saw Natasha Romanoff.

“What are you doing here?” Hillary asked her.

“I couldn’t let these losers drive to Arizona by themselves, could I?”

Hillary laughed. “I’m glad you could make it. And Wilson, how are you?” she said, turning to shake hands with Sam and then give him a brief hug. 

“A little road-tripped out, at the moment,” Sam told her.

“It’s so amazing, you’re all here!” said Hillary. “Is this everyone who came?”

“Yes,” said Sam. “Scott Lang went back to Cali, and Barton stayed with his family. So it’s all good, for now.”

“I’ll bet the authorities are looking for you,” said Jo.

“I know. It’s going to be tricky, getting things settled,” said Steve. “But we’re hoping to find a place close by.”

“Some of us,” said Natasha, shrugging.

“Well, have a seat,” said Trey, gesturing to the living and dining areas. 

“Don’t mind if we do,” said Steve. They headed into the living room.

“I suppose the story of what happened in Leipzig and Siberia can wait until Coulson gets here,” said Hillary as they settled on the couches.

“He is here?” Wanda asked.

“He’s on his way from Tempe,” said Hillary. “So, Bucky. I guess it starts with you.”

Bucky took a deep breath. “Well, I’ve said it repeatedly, I was hiding in Romania and minding my own business when all of this started.”

“What were you doing in Romania?” Hillary asked. “How did you get there? Maybe we should go further back, to when Grace died. That was when S.H.I.E.L.D. lost track of you.”

“Well,” said Bucky. Hillary watched him, wondering if he would react to her mention of Grace. But his face was blank. “After Grace died--I felt like I didn’t have anything left--I mean, I knew if I came back here, of course, Hydra would have come for us. And I couldn’t let that happen, not after--I’d learned my lesson. I didn’t want anyone else to ever be hurt, because of me. So I went east. I was in the southeast part of the U.S. for a while, just living on the streets. But then--well, don’t ask me how, but I figured out I was being tracked.”

“Hedwig,” Wanda spoke up. “Was it Hedwig?”

“The owl?” Bucky asked, stunned.

“Yes. We knew she had found you.”

Bucky glanced at Steve. “I’m not surprised. But anyway, after that I went to the coast. Savannah. I got on a cargo ship there that was heading for Europe. I stowed away, snuck up to the galley for food when I could but other than that stayed hidden in the brig. It was a miserable trip. But I was already plenty miserable, so it didn’t bother me. The ship docked in Spain. The port authorities found me, but I escaped. I hitchhiked across Europe to Romania. And there I stayed. I decided it was far enough away from...from everything.” He hung his head, taking off his baseball cap. Romania had been far away from everything he feared as well as what he knew and loved. “So I started over.” He looked up at Trey and smiled. “I’d learned a thing or two from you, Trey, about fixing cars. I started doing odd jobs for people, and they paid me. Some old landlady whose car I fixed decided to give me a flat in her apartment building. I worked enough to pay the rent and buy my own food. After a few months, I was starting to get the hang of things. I had my apartment furnished, I was even learning the language. But then--” he shook his head. “All hell broke loose.”

“When did you find out about the bombing in Vienna, Bucky?” Steve asked him.

“Only a few minutes before I found you in my apartment,” said Bucky. He gave Steve a bit of an angry look. “Kind of rude, just walking into a guy’s apartment, you know? I just went up there to grab a few things and start running. I could have gotten away Steve, you know, if you hadn’t stopped me.”

“Bucky, please don’t accuse him like this,” said Hillary.

“Buck, we don’t know that,” said Steve. “You might’ve escaped, you might’ve gotten a few blocks before the police caught you. I only went there to see if I could help you.”

“Well--fat lot of good that did. And then along came the Black Panther. Between him and you guys, I just made a mess trying to escape. And then I got caught.”

“Please, dear,” said Jo.

“It was my understanding that Steve was trying to help you,” said Trey.

“Well--it didn’t feel like he was helping me, at the time,” said Bucky. His gaze softened, as if he wanted to show that he was willing to accept that Steve had been trying to help him. “But it didn’t matter. The Romanian police arrested all of us, and they handed us over to the CIA.”

“You could say that was the last road trip we went on, Rogers,” said Sam. “Lot more recent.”

“Yeah, but it wasn’t exactly fun.”

“So was the trip to Leipzig.”

“So what happened in Berlin?” Hillary asked.

“That’s not easy to explain,” Bucky said. But as he was speaking, the kitchen door opened, and a new arrival appeared behind the counter.


	12. Tribunal

Evidently everyone in the room knew him but Bucky. But the man was looking straight at Bucky the moment he was in sight of the living room. He didn’t say anything when he entered. He was a short man, his forehead not coming much higher than the kitchen cupboard. His dark hair was slicked sideways in a comb-over. He wore a nondescript black suit and a patterned tie. The most remarkable thing about the man was the owl that sat on his right shoulder. It was a large snowy owl, white and covered with a myriad of dark flecks, golden eyes that scrutinized the people in the living room on a head that swiveled freely on top of her body. The owl spread her wings and flew over to the top of the armchair. Steve got up and moved away from the seat to make room for their guest. 

Bucky rose slowly to his feet. He’d heard a lot about Phil Coulson, most of it from Hillary. Meeting the man in person, it was hard to know what to say in greeting. Coulson was looking at Bucky carefully, trying to see something past the dirty clothes and ratty hair and the metal arm. Bucky wasn’t sure what he was supposed to be looking for in return. But   
he thought he could find a word for what he was seeing: wisdom.

It was the first time since Steve Rogers had come off the ice that Phil Coulson was in the same room and not paying attention to him. But how could he? Not when, after two years of searching, Captain America’s best friend had finally been found, and they’d been reunited. Coulson had heard a lot about Bucky, too. And he saw that Bucky was everything he’d heard about--and more.

They were standing face-to-face in the middle of the living room, Bucky having to look down a bit to keep eye contact with Coulson. Hillary thought of the end of ‘The Force Awakens’ when Rey and Leia had hugged. Steve thought of the end of ‘Tangled’ when Rapunzel was reunited with her parents. 

No words. They just knew.

Bucky rubbed his hand behind his shoulder. And then he spoke. “I’m...sorry I almost killed you...and Emily...two years ago.”

Coulson broke into a laugh. “Don’t be tacky about it. I’m just glad she didn’t finish you off.” Coulson hugged him. Bucky felt he might as well hug back. Everyone watching them relaxed. It was still strange, though, that they didn’t know each other but they were still hugging. 

“Was that supposed to be awkward?” Natasha said.

“Nah, it’s fine,” said Steve. He stood up as Bucky and Coulson broke apart. Steve and Phil embraced and shook hands.

“It’s good to see you,” Coulson told him. “Of course, really, this is the last place on Earth I thought I’d see any of you.” He looked down at Natasha, Wanda, and Sam as well. He sat down in the armchair. “Now, was I interrupting anything?”

“We were just talking about the...events of the last few weeks,” said Steve. 

“Right, right. So where did you leave off? Do you want to recap anything for me?”

“We’ll start with Berlin,” said Bucky. “That’s about where we were when you entered.”

“Okay. But maybe we could backtrack to Romania. So how--Bucky, I suppose you should be the one I’m asking about this--how were you flushed out, exactly? The details in the news and the CIA reports were sketchy.” He had his hands folded together. 

Bucky watched Coulson as he told the story over, with more details about the chase this time. Either Coulson was very unphased by all of this, or he’d been expecting them.  
“Right, so then you were in Berlin,” said Coulson. “And then this Zemo guy came along. Did you ever figure out who he was or what he was doing?”

“Those are both very good questions,” said Steve. “And I’m sure there are interesting answers, but they would probably make more sense when we got to the end of the story. But he was mainly in Berlin so he could trigger Bucky.”

“And why would he do that?”

“I think there were several reasons behind that,” said Steve. “I think it was partly to give me an incentive to escape from the law and take Bucky with me. And to confirm everyone’s worst fears about him.”

“It worked,” said Sam.

“They had Bucky in a separate room, a secure cell. Arms and legs pinned down--like he was an animal,” said Steve.

“I saw it on the news,” said Hillary. Her parents nodded sadly. 

“And then they brought in the ‘psychologist’--the psychologist turned out to be Zemo. He wanted to get some alone time with Bucky so he could trigger him. Somehow there was an electrical explosion. Maybe there was a bomb that went off somewhere.”

“My sources tell me that Zemo rigged a device to disrupt the electrical supply from the nearest power plant,” said Natasha. 

“The lights went out--and Bucky was gone. Only the Winter Soldier.”

Coulson looked at Bucky. “Can you tell us what happened?”

Bucky’s frown deepened.

“I know it hurts you to talk about it. But we need to know.”

Bucky took a short inhale. “The Soviets--Hydra, whoever they were--they trained me, to respond to ten words spoken in Russian. Said in a certain order, my mind and body would--my programming would take over. Any fighting I was trained to do, I would be prepared to use. Any orders they gave, I would fulfil. When Zemo started to say the words--he had a notebook with a star on it and he was reading them--I’d seen it before--as soon as he began speaking them, it all started flooding back. I was pinned down. I couldn’t block it out. I couldn’t stop it.”

“What were Zemo’s orders?”

“To escape. And to stop anyone who got in my way. Kill anyone who fought back.”

“Did he say he wanted you to meet him somewhere or get anything for him?” Coulson asked.

Bucky was having a hard time finding the right words. “I--don’t think so--I don’t remember. I just remember fighting Natasha and Agent Carter and--”

“That’s enough,” said Coulson.

Bucky collapsed with his face and his arms on his lap, shaking. Hillary was sitting next to him, and she scooted closer and rubbed his back. 

“I got a call from Nick Fury while we were in Vegas,” Coulson said. “The S.H.I.E.L.D. team in Ohio found a dead man in a cellar in Cleveland. Apparently the dead man was Vasily Karpov, one of the Winter Soldier’s former handlers.” Bucky looked up, but he didn’t seem to recognize the name. “Zemo must have killed him--and gotten the notebook with the code words from him. Helmut Zemo had worked for Hydra at one point, but like most he’d never even heard of the Asset until recently. But of course, he must have found out about the Asset’s connection to Captain Rogers. So what happened when he was triggered?”

“Well, the Winter Soldier was on the loose, the facility went into emergency lockdown, so nobody minded that Sam and I headed down the stairs to see if we could stop him,” said Steve. “It didn’t go well. He got away and took the elevator upstairs.”

“Of course he whupped both our butts in the process,” said Sam. “Predictable.”

“And then he made it upstairs--”

“We ran into Zemo, too, remember?” said Sam.

“Yeah, that’s right,” said Steve. “We cornered him. But there wasn’t really much we could do to him. He only said he wanted to see an empire fall. And then he got away from us.”

“What--you didn’t pin him down right then, drag out more information?” Hillary said.

“I suppose that would’ve helped,” said Steve. “But I didn’t know what to do. He was being cryptic. I guess I was--more worried about stopping Bucky right then.”

“As you should’ve been,” said Trey Tanner, rubbing his chin. “Steve, I know it helps you to make light of this. But please, stick to the facts.”

“Of course, sir,” said Steve. “But it took a while for Sam and I to get back to the main part of the building--Bucky had ripped up the elevator.”

“And I was killing everybody in sight,” said Bucky.

“You didn’t kill everyone,” said Natasha.

“You don’t need to be that honest,” said Hillary.

“Well--how many people died?” Bucky asked Natasha. 

“Fifteen. And you injured thirty more. And not to mention caused considerable property damage.”

“Were you there as well, Natasha?” Trey asked.

“Yes, I was in Berlin, helping Tony do damage control for the last fiasco. Sharon Carter and I went upstairs to see if we could try and stop him. Sharon fought him first. Then me. And somehow you’d gotten hold of a firearm,” Natasha said, eyeing Bucky. “You shot Tony Stark in the face. If he hadn’t been wearing bulletproof glasses or pulled out his gauntlet in time--”

“I forgot about that part,” said Bucky with embarrassment.

“Do you remember having my legs stuck around your head, like when we fought in DC?”

Hedwig clicked her beak at them from the armchair.

“Too much information, children. Too much information,” said Coulson. “Continue.”

“T’challa was there, too,” said Natasha. “He fought with Barnes. Barnes still got away.”

“Where did he go?”

“To the roof,” said Steve. “Everywhere else was cut off by then. But Stark had a helicopter parked and waiting there. Bucky got in and started to take off--” He glanced at Bucky. “I didn’t know you could fly a chopper, Buck.”

“I’m the Winter Soldier,” said Bucky flatly. “I can use any weapon; I can operate any vehicle.”

“He was already in the air,” Steve continued. “I grabbed hold of the roof and tried to pull it back down.”

“I didn’t realize it was you,” Bucky said. “I only knew that some crazy guy was trying to get me to crash. And he succeeded.” 

“I managed to pull him back onto the platform,” said Steve. “But then the helicopter fell into the river. He was knocked out. I dragged him out and to the surface. We went and found a place to hide.”

“I heard about the helicopter crash,” said Sam. “I figured if you’d escaped, you’d have gone and hid somewhere. So I went looking for you.”

“Thank goodness it didn’t take long,” said Steve. “We were in an abandoned auto shop.”

Bucky looked at Steve. “Were you the one who pinned me to the well?”

“Yes, it was,” said Steve. “I’m sorry I had to do that, but I wasn’t sure what state of mind you would be in when I woke up.”

“Probably the smartest thing to do,” said Bucky.

“So you put him there?” Wanda spoke up.

“Yes,” said Steve.

Wanda looked at Hillary. “Hillary, remember the nightmare I had--”

“After Thanksgiving, yes,” said Hillary, her eyes widening. “You saw it happen?”

“I saw the future,” Wanda said. “But I guess--it is the past now. How funny. Sorry, I--”

“What did you see, Wanda?” said Steve.

Wanda took a breath. “I saw Bucky caught in the vise. I saw you and Sam with him when he awoke. Little more. This was right before we flew home after Thanksgiving.”

Sam muttered under his breath. Steve closed his mouth, shocked. 

“I’m sorry. I felt it best not to tell you--in case--”

“It’s in the past now,” Steve said. He waved a hand in dismissal. Hedwig and Coulson were both staring at Wanda. Hillary avoided eye contact with them. 

“Is there more that happened when you woke up, Bucky?” Coulson asked.

“Yes,” Bucky said. “I--remembered--Zemo had asked me for a mission report. December 16, 1991. I remembered that Hydra had sent out the Winter Soldier to steal something that night--something in the back of a car. It was serum, for creating super-soldiers. More people like me and Steve. I remembered at the base in Siberia, that Hydra had brought other people there for treatment--I couldn’t tell you if they were volunteers, or prisoners like me. But Hydra had me spar with them, fight with them, train with them. Then they got out of control--the details are fuzzy, but I got out of there with one of my handlers. I didn’t know what had happened to the others. But I guessed that since Zemo had asked for that mission report, that he was going after the other super soldiers.”

“And I assumed that he was going to use them in whatever he was planning,” said Steve. “He’d said he wanted to make an empire fall--they would be his army to do it. So, I assumed that this meant that Zemo was planning to do something along the lines of taking over the world and killing people to do it. I had to stop him. Sam agreed to go with me. And Bucky agreed to show us the way. But we felt we couldn’t do it alone. So we called in help.”

“Clint Barton was willing to come out of retirement to help us,” said Sam. “Wanda here was being held at the Avengers’ base, so he went and got her. And I called up my special contact in San Francisco--that’s the Ant-Man.”

“I can only assume that in the meantime, Stark was doing some of his own dirty work,” said Natasha.

“I wanted to ask you about that, actually,” said Steve. “The Spider-kid. He said he came from Queens. You know where Stark got him from?”

“No idea,” said Natasha. “I stayed and waited in Europe while Stark went back to New York. All he told me was he had an ace up his sleeve.”

“And you didn’t meet the guy before the showdown in Leipzig?”

“No.”

“What, you mean Spider-Man?” said Hillary.

“That’s the one,” said Steve.

“Well--haven’t you seen the YouTube videos? This kid’s been caught on tape. Of course Stark would know about him!” Hillary exclaimed.

“I haven’t had a lot of time to watch YouTube lately,” said Steve. 

“So from Leipzig, we were planning to fly to Siberia,” said Sam. “Steve here called up Sharon Carter. She was very happy to get me and Steve’s gear back from the CIA--although it   
would likely cost her job. But making out with Steve probably sweetened the deal.”

“Yes indeed,” Bucky nodded, smiling with that evil grin of his.

“Wait, what?” said Hillary, jumping awake. 

“That wasn’t a makeout,” Steve protested. 

“It could’ve been if you’d had more time,” said Bucky.

“Wait, Steve kissed someone?” said Wanda.

“Steve, you kissed her?” Natasha exclaimed.

“Yes--I kissed Sharon Carter goodbye,” said Steve, sounding a little guilty.

“Whaaaaaat?” said Hillary, sounding more excited than surprised. “You and Agent 13? I never would’ve guessed--Steve, you know she’s Peggy’s niece, right?”

Hillary’s parents looked at each other and laughed quietly.

“About dang time,” said Coulson quietly. Hedwig looked at Steve sideways.

“I didn’t know you had a love interest, Steve,” said Trey.

“Well...I sort of like her. I haven’t seen her since S.H.I.E.L.D. fell. And I didn’t know she was Peggy’s niece. Not until the funeral. But--she was a big help to me and Sam.”  
“And she kicked me in the face,” said Bucky.

“Anyway--I didn’t know if I would get to see her again...so, yeah. But it’s none of your business, really.”

“Come on,” said Sam. “You did get to see her again, bro. Did you two get some cozy time on the TARDIS?”

“Woo-woo!” said Bucky.

“Not remotely,” said Steve.

“I was going to ask you about that back at Barton’s,” said Natasha. 

Steve looked at her. “Did you know the entire time?”

“There are very few things I don’t know,” said Nat. “Plus, Sharon and I are good friends. We go back a ways.”

“Were you the one who--”

“Yes, it was me. I recommended Agent 13 to keep an eye on you when you lived in D.C.”

“Nat, just because she’s Peggy’s niece doesn’t mean I’d be interested in her. There’s more to her than that.”

“I know,” Natasha said, but she was grinning.

“ANYWAY,” Coulson interjected. The others settled down. “So shortly after your rendezvous with Sharon, you met with Barton at the Leipzig airport. Am I correct?”

“Yes,” said Steve. “Barton chartered a helicopter to take us to Siberia, but--”

“And he had Scott Lang and Wanda with him. Wanda, Vision actually called me when you escaped from Corinth.”

“He did?” said Wanda.

“Yes. He was not very happy about it. Can you tell me what happened?”

“Well--Stark wanted me to stay at the base for my own safety,” said Wanda, looking down at her knees. “Vision kept me from leaving. He said it was too dangerous for me to--to go out until the Accords were ‘on more stable footing,’ he said. He meant that I was locked up because people were afraid of me.”

Steve was watching her, and he looked bitter. 

“That’s not my idea of safety, being shut away from the world. I never agreed to it--”

Coulson cut her off. “Forgive me, Wanda, but I want to make sense of this: you had a ten-acre complex with full training facilities and cable TV. There was staff willing to go to town and pick up things for you. How could you possibly not be okay with being confined to the base?”

“I can take care of myself.”

“Stark had no right to treat her the way the rest of the world was treating her,” said Steve. “She’s not a monster, Coulson. He wasn’t protecting her. He was locking her up.”

“I know that.”

“Stark was willing to compromise with me if I signed the Accords in Berlin,” said Steve. “Help me get protection for Bucky. But when he told me what he’d done with Wanda--I wasn’t going to stand for that.”

Coulson looked at Steve. “That makes sense.” He looked at Wanda. 

“Barton set off several explosions around the base and then broke into the building to get me out,” said Wanda. “Vision tried to stop us from leaving…” She gave a guilty sideways glance. “I used my powers to try and tear him apart. I didn’t mean to kill him--just to hurt him. But I was angry. I wanted him to know how I felt. I blasted him into the floor and we just left him there.”

“Uh-huh. How did you pick up Lang?”

“Scott Lang was waiting for us in Albany. Clint had gotten him a plane ticket to fly out and meet us at a secret location. Clint then got him on our borrowed jet and we flew to Europe. He slept clear till we got to Leipzig--when we got a car in Dresden Clint and I had to carry him.”

“We met at the parking garage at the Leipzig airport,” said Steve. “We suited up. Bucky found somebody’s jacket in the dumpster--might’ve been smarter if he’d left the sleeve on.”

“Hey, it’s how I was used to going out to fight,” said Bucky.

“Barton had bought an outfit for me to fight in. I changed in the van. That must’ve been fun, you guys getting dressed outside.”

“Hm, locker rooms, parking garages, it’s not much different” said Steve. “We headed out to the tarmac to pick up the copter--and Tony was there to stop us. Along with his friends.”

“And was T’challa was there to kill me,” said Bucky dryly.

“For the record, Coulson, we didn’t know what they were doing,” said Natasha. “We only knew that They were trying to protect Barnes. Tony figured it was some attempt to either get him to safety or else to attack Ross and the CIA before they could arrest him again. Tony had no idea about Zemo. I didn’t, either.”

“I don’t blame you for trying to stop us,” said Steve. “We didn’t know what Zemo was really up to, either. I thought he was trying to take over the world.”

“You always have to jump to dramatic conclusions?” said Natasha.

“Yep. He does,” said Sam.

“I’ve dealt with way too many people with that agenda,” said Steve. 

“So you and Stark actually fought?” Trey asked.

“We didn’t at the airport. My team was running around trying to find a way to get out of there. His had their hands full trying to stop us.” Steve and Wanda and Sam related some   
of the incidents and duels that had occurred during the battle in Leipzig. Some of them were actually rather humorous. Hedwig was listening, but she preened herself while Jo, Trey, Hillary, and Coulson sat back. Sam and Bucky did a banter back and forth recalling their encounter with the Spider-Kid. Steve’s team had decided to make their way to the hangar to steal the QuinJet that Tony’s group had brought, but Tony and his comrades held them off. And in the midst of it all, of course, Bucky was trying to escape the Black Panther’s clutches. Wanda had a harder time enjoying the story, since she had to admit that she’d tried to hurt the members of Tony’s team, including Natasha. No one had wanted to kill each other at Leipzig, except for Black Panther. But Wanda spoke of her own actions as though she had.

“I was just so angry,” Wanda confessed. “I didn’t care what I did as long as the people on my side could get away.” She rubbed her hands on her face.

“Well, hey,” said Bucky, “you did get Black Panther off of me once. That counts, right?”

Wanda chuckled. So did Steve. 

They continued, with Steve telling how he and Bucky had decided to go ahead while the others helped them escape. Their listeners were amused by Scott Lang’s Giant-Man antics, and Natasha even chipped in a bit about how Spider-Man had toppled him.

“The kid said, ‘hey, does anyone remember that old movie, ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ ?” It was kind of a random moment for a Star Wars reference, I felt,” said Natasha. “So Rhodes asks Tony, ‘Hey, how old is this kid?’ and Stark says, ‘I don’t know, I didn’t carbon-date him.’” 

Trey and Jo laughed. Hillary gave a quiet snort.

“But then the Spider-kid started throwing his webs around Lang and tripping him up.”

“Oh, so like the scene with the AT-ATs,” said Coulson. “The big walkers on the snow planet,” he clarified when he saw Bucky’s confused look.

“Oh, right, I remember that part.” Bucky thought for a moment. “Yeah, I can see how that reference worked.”

“The Spider-kid ended up pulling him down,” said Natasha. “But I didn’t stick around to see what happened to him next. Because that was when Rogers and Barnes had reached the hangar. The Black Panther was right behind me.”

 

“You had us cornered,” said Steve.

“I know I did. Wanda did the thing with her powers and knocked the tower down in front of the hangar entrance--it was just a random tower, not the freaking air traffic control room. I blasted my way through it. I guess T’challa must have climbed over it. And I got in front of you guys.” She smiled. 

Steve smiled back at her. “Do you regret letting us go now?” 

She sighed. “Considering what happened next, I do. But I figured if you were that determined to stop Zemo from whatever he was doing, then maybe you were on to something.” 

“So we took off in the QuinJet,” said Bucky. “Wasn’t exactly a smooth ride getting out of the airport, though. Stark sent the other metal guy after us.”

“Rhodey, yes,” said Wanda. 

“And I was dumb enough to go after him,” said Sam, suddenly looking anguished. “Thought I could try and stop him.”

“Well, did you?” asked Trey.

Sam shook his head. “The Vision came up after us. He sent a blast of energy from that Mind-stone thing in his head. Of course he was aiming for me. Rhodes took the shot instead.”

Hillary groaned.

“Oh, that’s terrible,” said Jo.

Natasha nodded. “Vision felt horrible about it afterwards. I went back to base with Tony and the guys. Rhodes got sent to Columbia Hospital. Paralyzed from the waist down.”

Sam looked awful. Steve reached over and touched his shoulder. “It’s not your fault, man.”

“It’s all our faults,” Sam blurted. “If we hadn’t been so...bent on going after Zemo for no reason--”

“Wilson, we didn’t know.” Steve glanced up at Bucky and saw a momentary flicker of guilt crossing his face, too.

“T’challa reported to the authorities that I’d helped Steve and Barnes escape,” Natasha continued. “Tony told me to go into hiding. I went back to my apartment and packed what I could, traded my car in for a rental and drove out to Bartons. I knew that Ross was going to put the rest of them in prison. Laura was going to need me. I was there only a few days before you guys showed up.”

“So in the meantime, Stark went to the Raft for a visit with Secretary Ross,” said Sam. “He must’ve found out on the way over that Zemo had framed Barnes. I’m sure he asked Ross to do something about it, but Ross wasn’t in the mood to give him the time of day. So he asked me where Cap and Barnes were going. And I told him.” Sam closed his eyes and shook his head. “I wish I’d kept my fool mouth shut.” Hedwig stopped her preening to hop down on the armchair next to Coulson. Coulson stroked her feathers. 

“Sam, please, it wasn’t your fault,” said Steve. “Zemo turned us against each other. We all made mistakes, but it was Zemo who got us to fight.”

“Uh-huh,” said Sam.

“So how was the flight to Siberia?” Coulson asked.

“It was--could’ve been worse, I suppose,” said Steve. “Freezing cold most of the way. We had enough fuel to fly without stopping. But Bucky wasn’t feeling up to driving. So I’d go for like ten, twelve hours and then land somewhere so we could take a break. There were bunks on board the QuinJet. Bucky slept a lot while I was flying. We didn’t really talk that much when we were in the cockpit together.”

“There wasn’t really much to do besides sleep,” Bucky said. 

“So we landed. Bucky found a way to get into the bunker of the old Hydra base. It’s in the very north and east of Siberia, near the Arctic Ocean. Not quite clear to Alaska.”

“Do you remember the coordinates, by any chance?” Coulson asked. 

“We could give them to you later,” said Bucky. “I think I’d like to sit this part out, actually,” he said, starting to rise from the couch.

Hillary grabbed him by the arm. “Bucky, it’s okay. Just tell us what happened.”

Bucky looked at her with a face that said plainly he would have given anything in the world to not do so. But he took a short gulp and started talking quickly. “So we went down to the bottom of the bunker, where Hydra had kept me and the other super-soldiers. We hadn’t gotten quite to the main chamber yet when we heard a noise. It was somebody coming. Stark.”

“He seemed to be in a good-enough mood,” said Steve. “And he made it pretty clear that he’d figured out that Zemo had been behind the attacks in Berlin and Vienna. We were grateful for the help.”

“Well, you were,” said Bucky. “I still didn’t trust him.”

“I had hoped for like two seconds that you two would be able to get along,” said Steve. “But then we got into the main chamber. Zemo was waiting for us. The other super-soldiers were still in suspension. But they were dead. Zemo had no qualms announcing that to us.”

“Then what did he want?” asked Hillary nervously.

“To see an empire fall,” said Steve. “I--Zemo was hiding behind a security door that had a window in it. He told us to our faces, an empire that falls from within is more likely to crumble, or something like that. He then played a VHS tape. Of the night that Stark’s parents were murdered. By the Winter Soldier.”

Coulson’s face was impassive.

“Did--did he know?” Hillary asked.

Steve shook his head. “I had suspected since S.H.I.E.L.D. fell--Doctor Zola had hinted at it. I knew Hydra was behind Howard’s death, but I hadn’t known--it must’ve been Hydra’s idea of a cruel joke--”

“But you didn’t tell Stark about this?” Hillary cut in.

“I didn’t see the need to. I’d only thought it would hurt him. And it did.”

“Steve,” Hillary said quietly.

“One concern I have,” said Coulson, “is where did Zemo get footage of the Starks’ murder? I thought it was a car accident on a remote road.”

“Hydra kept an archive of my more important missions,” said Bucky. “They’d plant recording devices in the target’s vicinity, to make sure I got the job done. Make sure I followed orders. That my programming didn’t slip up. And that night--it didn’t. I rewatched it on the tape--I didn’t even blink. Howard Stark recognized me. He begged me to not kill him.” 

Tears started leaking out of his eyes. “His wife--she kept on calling his name--I didn’t--I didn’t--I didn’t stop--” He collapsed, his face on his hands.

Hillary kept an arm on Bucky’s shoulder. But she looked at Steve. “How did Stark react?”

“He went beserk,” said Steve. “He attacked Bucky. I fought him to keep him from getting to Bucky--I tried to give Bucky a chance to get out. But we were trapped.”

Trey Tanner had his mouth set in a grim line. Jo began sobbing. Hillary couldn’t recall ever seeing her mother cry like this.

“How could--how could he do such a thing?” Jo said. 

“I was scared, too,” said Steve. “But I realized later, that was what Zemo had meant. That was what he’d wanted. To get us to fight each other. To kill each other. Helmut Zemo was from Sokovia. His family had died in Ultron’s attack last year. He wanted revenge. But he didn’t have superpowers, so how else was he supposed to get it?”

“Oh my gosh,” said Hillary. “What a monster.”

“Stark or Zemo?” Natasha asked her.

Hillary wanted to answer ‘Stark’. His lack of self-restraint--his cruelty. He knew Steve, he knew what Bucky meant to Steve. He should have known better than to attack someone who had been brainwashed to commit that murder. 

Bucky sat up. His face was all wet. “Hillary. I’m the monster here, not Stark. I remember killing Stark’s parents. I had no idea that Howard had once saved my life. I just did what I was trained to do.”

“That wasn’t your fault,” said Hillary. 

“Do you know how many times I’ve heard that?” said Bucky. He stood up. Hillary stood up next to him and faced him. They were both crying openly. “That doesn’t change anything.”

“They could have used anybody for that--” Hillary began.

“No. They picked me on purpose. He helped Steve save my life the first time, back in ‘43. Hydra intended for me to kill him. And they didn’t care what became of his son.”  
Hillary grabbed him and hugged him. 

“Please, please don’t do this to yourself.” She sat him back down. Jo grabbed the box of kleenex from beside the fish tank, and taking a few tissues herself she passed it to Hillary and Bucky. They smiled at each other weakly as they dried their faces.

Coulson looked up at the ceiling. “If I ever see Stark again--I won’t bring this up. I know he’s been hurting for a while, especially since Sokovia. He’s been struggling ever since I met him, in fact. But I don’t blame him for this. Never. This was Hydra’s fault, plain and simple. And Zemo goaded him into taking revenge.” He leaned forward to address his audience. “You see, Tony Stark never got along well with his father. Howard had always brushed him aside. And his mother, hah, she was a busy scientist and social elite. Their inherited their brains and their arrogance. But he never understood their love for him. Not in their lifetime. And ever since they died, he has always been trying to make amends for losing them, for not loving them or for thinking it was his fault that they didn’t love him. He spent his whole life trying to make up for all of his other mistakes--for being a weapons contractor, for letting terrorists get their hands on his products. For his dad’s old partner Obadiah Stane going mad, for the innocents that Ivan Vanko and the Mandarin killed and hurt. For New York. For losing Pepper. Sokovia was the final blow. And all the press coverage on the disasters he thinks he’s caused . But Zemo showed him the true killer of his parents--gave him someone to blame--and he lashed out. Killing him wouldn’t bring them back, but he could make the Winter Soldier suffer for killing them, make him hurt the way he’d been hurt. It would solve a problem that he hadn’t even created but always felt guilty for.” Coulson paused and added. “I have known Tony Stark for eight years. But I would never have thought him capable of such an atrocity as this. How badly did he hurt you, Bucky?”

Bucky sat up on the couch. He pulled down the collar of his shirt. There was a gash down the shoulder of the metal arm--it had been broken and soldered back together. 

“Stark blew it off,” said Bucky. “He beat me black and blue, and he hurt Steve, too. I thought I’d stand up for myself--and the power core in his suit--it was agony.”

“Where did you get the new arm?” asked Trey.

“We’re getting to that part,” said Steve. “After Bucky got hurt, it was just me and Tony. We fought and we fought--finally I dug my shield into the arc reactor in his suit. He powered down.” Steve sighed. “I wasn’t going to finish him off. I owed him that much. So I helped Bucky to his feet and we left. And as we were leaving, Tony called out to me that I didn’t deserve the shield anymore. That his father had made it for me in the first place. So I dropped it. And I assume he kept it. But as of that moment, I am no longer Captain America.”

Everyone in the room was silent. Hillary held her hand to her mouth.

“Stark was an arrogant toerag,” said Jo. “You didn’t need to do that for him.”

“Well, I didn’t need to be Captain America for him, or for Ross, either,” Steve said. “The rest of the world--they’ve always tried to tell me what to do. But I wouldn’t let them if I knew what they were asking was wrong. And I wasn’t going to let anyone push Bucky around, either.”

Coulson nodded. “Well, if that’s what you felt was best, Steve, I’ll support you in that.”

“So what happened to Stark?” Steve asked.

“Stark showed up a day or so later at a hospital in Japan with the stolen QuinJet,” said Coulson. “He had Zemo all tied up and he handed him over to the authorities. Zemo is in Berlin--they’re actually keeping him in the box where they had you, Bucky.” Coulson smirked. “And Stark is back at the Avengers’ base in Corinth. Rhodes is in rehab. But Stark has yet to say anything to the public about what happened between you two. And I doubt he is going to.”

“Good,” said Steve. 

“And what happened to you guys?”

“Well, we left the bunker, for starters,” said Steve. “We didn’t have any reason to hang around in there. But as it turns out, T’challa had followed Stark out to the base in Siberia. He watched Zemo get us to fight each other. And then he tied up Zemo and left him on the QuinJet, so I guess he meant for Stark to find him. But he came to us and started giving Bucky first aid--it was weird. He’d had a total change of heart. He said he would be willing to do anything to help us, even take us back to his country. But before he could do that--the Doctor showed up.”

Hillary rolled her eyes. “Figures.”

“What Doctor?” Jo asked.

“The time-traveler from that one British TV show,” Hillary explained. “Let me guess, he got you guys onto the TARDIS?”

“Yes. We took Bucky up to the infirmary on the TARDIS. And believe it or not, he’d recruited Sharon Carter to help him take care of Bucky. So we got Bucky all settled in, and then he told us about your situation here in Arizona,” said Steve. “The Doctor had already mentioned it to Bucky, and he expressed interest. But he said we were going to need all the help he could get. So he and Sharon helped me and T’challa to break these guys out of the Raft.”

“I helped too, remember,” said Natasha. “I still hadn’t changed my phone number, yet. Sharon called me while I was on the way to Barton’s. But then again, if she was on the TARDIS, that explains why she was able to find me.”

“Nice one,” said Hillary.

“Good for you,” said Trey.

“The Doctor had a new arm for me, too,” said Bucky. “He didn’t say specifically where it had come from. I guess we were on the TARDIS for what, a week of your time? It only felt like a couple of days. He left us at the Bartons’ last Friday, and told us to be here today.” Bucky groaned. “I really wish we could’ve come before Wednesday, though. Apparently the Doctor had gone forward in time, and he knew what had happened.”

“We all do,” said Steve. “But the Doctor said it wouldn’t have changed anything, he called it a--”

“--fixed point in time,” said Coulson. “I understand. He meant well, I think.” Coulson was looking at his hands. Hedwig looked up at him comfortingly.

“You didn’t have to come,” Hillary said, her arm on Bucky’s shoulder still. “When Hydra hears you’ve come back--”

“I know,” Bucky answered her. “I suppose the smarter choice would’ve been to go to Wakanda. But I wasn’t about to go there. T’challa had changed his mind about me, but that didn’t mean I was ready to accept his help. I didn’t trust the Doctor, either. But he offered a chance to get me home--well, to here, I mean. This is my home. And I heard you were in danger. He said if I came here, then I’d have the chance to help you. I wasn’t going to pass that up.”

Hillary smiled. “Well--the worst of it’s probably passed. I mean, their big base in Peoria is gone now.”

“Right,” said Coulson. “But Hydra is only getting started in this area. The people at the base on Wednesday were only a small fraction of Hydra’s total force. They’ve scattered to other parts. And there were a few who escaped--they’ll be back, and in greater numbers. But, I do appreciate the time you’ve taken to tell me what happened with you guys.” 

Coulson sat up. “So that’s it, then. No one was saved, no one got killed, either. Both sides made mistakes. Captain America has retired, and the Avengers...are scattered and broken.”

“Not completely,” said Steve. “We’ve got four of them here in this room.”

“Are you including me?” said Bucky, taken aback.

“You’ve got more crap to avenge than the rest of us put together, Barnes,” said Natasha. 

“I don’t want to be an Avenger. I’d just rather be left alone. I’ll fight to protect my family, sure.”

“And we’ll help you,” said Wanda. 

“So then, Bucky, you want to fight Hydra?” Coulson asked him, giving him a probing look. Hedwig was looking at him, too.

“I do,” said Bucky. “I’ve got a good reason to.”

“Fair enough. Does anyone else in this room want to be of assistance to Mr. Barnes here? I assume that since you escaped the Raft and drove all the way out here from Bartons’ that you want to help out.”

“I’m in,” said Wanda. 

“Wanda, you don’t have to do this,” said Steve.

“Why do people keep asking me to back out of this?” said Wanda. “I’m not doing this for you or Bucky, Steve, same as before. I’m doing this because I want to. So let me.” She gave Steve a determined look.

Steve glanced at Bucky. He shrugged.

“What are you willing to do, then, the two of you?” Coulson asked them.

“The same as I’ve always done,” said Wanda. “Go into the field. Take them out. I’m willing to fight, and I’ll fight to kill.”

Coulson looked at Bucky.

“I guess...I’m the same as her,” said Bucky. “I’ll be available to fight.” He exhaled. “I do what it takes.”

“Good,” said Coulson. “Now, are any of the rest of you interested in fighting Hydra? Steve, you’ve been unusually quiet. What were you thinking?”

Steve shook his head. “I don’t want to go back into the field unless I have to. And I don’t need to. Bucky and Wanda are already enough at risk getting caught without me tagging along. I could do field support, help with S.H.I.E.L.D. on the sidelines.”

Coulson could barely contain a laugh. “Are you asking for a desk job, Rogers? That’s never been your style.”

“No. But I’ve had experience, doing remote support. Remember last November?”

“Oh yeah, right,” said Hillary. “You’d do fine at that. Besides, with--with Agent Parsons gone, and Agent Johnson is retiring, so we’ll need more help.”

Coulson looked ready to jump from his chair. “Agent Tanner, are you accepting--”

“I didn’t say I was just yet, sir,” said Hillary. “Although, if these guys are here to help us stomp out Hydra, they’re going to want someone to work with that they trust.”

“Why, what’s going on?” Bucky asked.

“I’ll explain later,” said Hillary. “But, anyway, it’s something to think about.”

“Wilson, what are you going to be doing?” Couslon asked him.

Sam sat up--he’d been lying back in the corner, content with being ignored. “Who, me? I’m going to retire. I guess not completely. But I’m tired of losing Falcon suits. I guess me and Steve can still fight with our fists, if we have to. But I don’t want to do this thing full-time anymore. Yeah, I know, it’s only been a year. But--it wasn’t my favorite,” he shrugged.

“Really, Sam, was I that bad?” Steve asked him.

“You were a regular tyrant,” Sam grinned, brushing him. “No, it’s all the other crap we had to put up with. Bureaucracy. Thought it wouldn’t be as bad as the military. Guess it was worse.”

“Are you interested in working for S.H.I.E.L.D.?” Coulson asked.

“No. Not that I don’t like you or Tanner, Coulson. But I’d just rather do something else for a while. Get a job. Maybe go back to school. There’s good schools around here, aren’t there?” Sam asked Trey and Jo. They nodded.

“I see,” said Coulson. “And Natasha? How about you?”

“I was gonna do the same, go back to work, lie low for a while,” said Natasha. 

“You didn’t happen to bring any of your gear with you, did you?” Steve asked her.

She shrugged. “Not as much as I would’ve liked. I can support myself on a full-time basis and help you guys out on the side. It’s not a problem.”

“Are you willing to help S.H.I.E.L.D. with tech support?” said Hillary.

“I can do that. And more. I’ll go in the field. Wanda’s still learning--and I guess Bucky here hasn’t had that much field experience without being brainwashed.”

Bucky gave her a smile. “You’ve got that right.”

Coulson rubbed his hands together. “I like that lineup. So we’ve got Bucky, Wanda, and Natasha doing field ops. Steve here will work for S.H.I.E.L.D.--do you mind doing full time?” 

Steve nodded. “He’ll be full-time. S.H.I.E.L.D. can offer combat support as needed but given the circumstances and the Accords it will have to be off the books.”

“Off the books, sir?” Hillary asked.

“We’ll keep a separate file for what actually happens, and write up the official reports in code. No different than how you used to cover for Bucky.”

A flash of embarrassment crossed Hillary’s face. 

“We will provide false identity papers for all of you,” Coulson continued. 

“I can get my own, thanks,” said Natasha. 

“Fair enough. Steve will be a regular employee, but we can compensate the others as needed.”

“Boss, where are you getting the funds for this?” Hillary asked him.

“We’ll just use the old superhero fund--siphon it to miscellaneous spending or something like that.”

Trey cleared his throat. “But those of you who are fighting Hydra, you won’t be doing that full-time, will you?” he asked. “I was under the impression that S.H.I.E.L.D. could no longer pay superhumans to work for them full-time under the Accords.”

“You’re very correct, Trey,” said Coulson. “So we can’t officially pay any of you for your services. So-called superhero ‘contracting,’ used to be extra-legal, but now it’s completely illegal.”

“Technically this whole thing is illegal,” said Natasha.

“But Hydra and other organizations will still do it secretly,” Coulson pointed out. “The Accords were effectively never signed. Ross and the UN can still police superhuman activity but they can’t stop it. I wouldn’t lower myself to allow us to do the same thing, but if Hydra cheats then so will we. Rogers can receive benefits for being a full-time employee, but we can’t give the rest of you enough to make a living off from just for street fighting. Romanoff will be looking for her own work. Perhaps you and Wanda could do the same, Bucky.”

“Here’s another question, though,” Sam said. “How long is this gonna take, a few months? A year?”

“I’d give it a year,” said Steve.

“It’ll depend on how soon we find out where they’re hiding,” said Coulson. “Right now we don’t really have any leads. We’re working on it, though.”

“So that probably means we should go ahead and settle in like we’re going to stay a while,” said Bucky. “I don’t mind that, really.”

“Wanda,” Coulson said, “would you like to have a full-time position at the S.H.I.E.L.D. office in Tempe? I’m not sure how easy it would be for you to get a regular job. But you can at least start out there, see how you like it. And you could have a way to support yourself.”

“Hm, I suppose it is a good idea,” said Wanda. “I’ll take it. I guess I’m going to need something to do.”

“We’ll be happy to have you,” said Hillary. 

Bucky looked over at Trey. “Can I have my old job back?”

“You’d fail the background check,” said Trey.

“I know.”

Trey thought for a moment. And then he leaned forward. “Tell you what, you can work at the garage as a regular paid employee. On the condition that during your down time you work on your mechanic’s certification under whatever pseudonym they give you. MCC has got a good program, it’ll only take you a few months to finish the course online.”

Bucky took a deep breath. “I can do that, sir.” 

“We may still need him to come over to the office every few days or so, Dad,” Hillary pointed out.

“He can work around it.” 

“That sounds like a fair trade,” said Jo. “So a few months to a year. Where will everyone be staying, then?”

“I’m going to get a hotel,” said Natasha. “At least until I find a place of my own.”

“Natasha, no,” said Wanda.

“Girl, you don’t have to strike out on your own right away,” said Hillary. “You can always stay with us. You know that.”

“I do. But it’s just where will these guys be staying?” She gestured at Sam, Steve, and Bucky.

Sam shrugged. “I’m okay staying here, until we get an apartment.”

“‘We’?” said Steve.

“I assumed you wanted to room together, bro. Am I wrong?” 

“Of course,” Steve told him. “It’s just--I was kind of hoping Bucky would like to room with me.” Steve looked over at Bucky. “You don’t have to, bud.”

“I’ll think about it,” said Bucky. “Personally, I’d rather get a place of my own. But it may be easier for us to share an apartment, in the short term.”

“That’s true,” said Steve. “Barton was nice enough to give us some money for the trip. But I don’t think I have quite enough left for a down payment on an apartment here.”

“I can get housing stipends for all of you,” said Coulson. “It won’t be much. But it can help.”

“I sure appreciate that,” said Steve. “So in the meantime--”

“If you’re wanting to save up for an apartment,” Jo spoke up, “you are more than welcome to stay here for a few days until your stipend comes through. We have plenty of space.”

“Well, we’d have to pull out a mattress for one of the girls, probably,” said Trey.

“I wouldn’t mind that,” said Wanda.

“But where will you be living, Wanda?” Steve asked. “I don’t know about out here, but a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent’s starting salary wasn’t quite enough to get a private apartment, back in the day in D.C.”

“It won’t be enough for one out here, trust me,” said Hillary. “Not one with A/C and a working swamp cooler, anyway. Are you and Nat gonna room together?”

“She has to decide on that still,” Wanda said, looking at Natasha.

“If you’re good,” said Natasha. 

Wanda laughed. “There’s a chance she might.”

“That’s all right. She can stay here for a while until she figures things out,” said Jo.

“You are very kind, ma’am.” 

Everyone was in better spirits now. Hillary was still heartbroken by Bucky’s story and kept her arm over his shoulder. 

“That leaves only one matter to resolve,” said Coulson. “I’m going back to D.C. Hedwig can come back and visit occasionally--and I think she’ll come in handy. But whoever is taking Parsons’ place as the Tempe S.H.I.E.L.D. director will have to be in charge of you guys. Agent Tanner, you’re the best possible candidate for this.”

Hillary folded her arms together, looking away from Coulson. Bucky was watching her.

“You don’t have to accept this right now. I can still give you time to decide,” Coulson said, smiling at her warmly.

Hillary shook her head. “Coulson. You know I’m gonna have to say yes. I’ll talk it over with Mark, but I think he’ll understand. I really couldn’t pass up a chance to work with these guys. I’ll do it.”

“Do what?” said Jo.

“I’m the new head of the Tempe S.H.I.E.L.D. station,” Hillary said, grinning sheepishly. 

“Well, you’ve gotta sign some paperwork first, and I’ll have to approve your clearance and so forth,” said Coulson. “But that settles it. Trey, anything else you’d like to add?”

Trey looked up at Bucky. “The prodigal son is home. Let’s kill the fatted calf. Jo, go ahead and call up the kids, see if they’d like to come over for pizza.”

“You’re not seriously inviting your family over, are you?” Coulson asked.

“Can, and will,” said Trey. He took Jo’s hand and squeezed it.

“Mark’s gonna flip,” said Hillary. She and Bucky embraced.


	13. Celebration

“Gosh, what time is it, five already?” said Steve as he and Sam stood up, eyeing the wall clock.

“Almost five-thirty,” said Sam. “How long were we talking?”

“Hours,” said Natasha. “That’s the last thing I needed, a long sit-down after finishing a road trip. What I really could use is a nap.” She stretched.

Hillary and Bucky rose to their feet. Wanda came over to hug Hillary. 

“I’m so glad just to see you again,” Hillary said. “I was so worried.”

“Me too,” said Wanda.

Bucky turned and looked at Coulson. Coulson was standing up to stretch as well, but his owl was looking at Bucky with her golden eyes.

The strangest thing about the owl was, he could feel something emanating from her, a warmth that indicated kindness and friendship, and perhaps a little curiosity. And there were thoughts that came to his mind that he knew were not his own. 

I have waited a long time to meet you. That was the owl, talking to him. And he had no idea how or why.

“So...what’s with this owl, anyway?” Bucky asked Coulson.

Coulson held out his arm, and the owl jumped up to rest on the sleeve of his jacket. “This is Hedwig. She was experimented on by Hydra just like you and I were--brought back completely from the dead, even.”

Bucky wanted to mention that the owl was speaking inside of his brain but he feared that it would sound a little awkward. Then Hedwig gave a chirp at him. I’ll leave you alone, she said, if you feel uncomfortable.

He chuckled. 

“Have you had the chance to read the Harry Potter books, or see the movies?”

“‘Fraid I didn’t do that for him, Boss,” said Hillary. “You should be disappointed in me.”

“There was a guy I met once, dressed up like Harry Potter,” said Bucky. He held out his metal arm to the owl’s beak. She would let him approach, but that was the part of his body least likely to hurt if she changed her mind. He petted the feathers beside her face. “Grace said she wanted to show me those movies. But we never had the chance.”

“Aw,” said Hillary.

“You should pet her with your good arm, she’s really soft,” Coulson encouraged him. “We found Hedwig in a Hydra laboratory in London right after Grace died,” he added. “She’s been with me ever since. But she’s really friendly, to most people. But then again we only keep her around a certain circle of friends.”

Bucky glanced at Steve. No one mentioned the fact that Hedwig had been sent to find Bucky when he was on the run. 

“I remember you,” Bucky said to her quietly. “It’s nice to meet you. Formally.”

She nibbled the end of his fingers. And then she spread her wings and Bucky and Coulson had to back away from each other as she hopped onto Bucky’s left arm. He laughed. She leaned over towards his ear and bit it--it tickled more than it hurt. “Okay, I get it, you like me.” She furled up her wings and sat still. So he petted her.

Jo had just finished typing something on her phone. “Jon and Marie said they’d come over in a little bit. I just told them we’re having pizza, to celebrate being able to come home,” she added to Coulson.

“Fair enough. When will they be here?”

“They told me around six-thirty,” said Jo. Her phone buzzed. “Greg and Julia say they’ll be here at around six. Haven’t heard back from Mike and Susan yet. Hillary, did you text Mark?”

Hillary sighed. “I guess if we’re getting married it’s mandatory that I invite him over for stuff. But I already texted him two minutes ago. Coulson, can we invite Mitch over?”

“Sure. But I think apart from Mitch we should keep it to just family,” said Coulson. 

“You and Mark are getting married?” Wanda said to Hillary.

“Hopefully soon. He’s gotta put a ring on it, first.”

“Congratulations, dear!” Wanda grabbed her for another hug.

“Congrats, Hillary,” Natasha said with less enthusiasm. 

Trey was on the phone with Domino's, ordering pizza. Jo got a text from Mike saying he was coming over with his family.

“Natasha, are you sure you would rather spend the night in a hotel?” said Trey. “We can put the boys on the couch, pull up the spare mattress for Wanda. You could sleep in Cody’s room.”

“I’ll be fine, thanks,” said Natasha. “Though I suppose if we’re having dinner I’ll hang around a while.”

Trey patted her on the shoulder and smiled warmly.

Hedwig went to perch on the back of the couch. Steve took Wanda, Bucky, and Sam out to their car to get their luggage and bring it inside. They put their bags in Cody’s room for the time being. It was almost six. Afterward, Steve, Bucky and Sam had a discussion with Coulson about the recent battle in Peoria. Hillary, however, sat down to play the piano.   
Several minutes later, someone came through the kitchen door. Coulson and the gentlemen were in the kitchen chatting as Agent Mitch Sorensen entered. 

“Heeeeey, I remember you!” said Bucky.

Mitch blew up laughing. 

“Hey there, Mitch,” said Steve modestly.

“How’s it going, Sorensen?” Sam greeted him.

“How’s it going, Wilson? Cap?” He held out a hand for Bucky to shake. “It’s nice to meet you, formally.”

“My pleasure,” said Bucky, taking the handshake but then giving Mitch a hug. Then Mitch walked over to Steve. “Seriously, what are you guys doing here? I thought Ross put a bounty on your heads.”

“He did,” said Sam. Steve gave Mitch a rough summary of their recent adventure. Hillary heard Mitch’s voice and went over to the kitchen. He looked at her as if to ask for an explanation. She could only shake her head and grin.

“And how are you doing?” Steve asked him when he finished.

“I’m doing fine, no worries,” said Mitch. “Just moving along here. Man, I can’t begin to tell you how crazy the last few weeks have been--”

The kitchen door opened. Greg Patterson entered. He was followed by Hillary’s sister Julia, who was carrying a baby in her arms.

Hillary saw them and gasped. “Julia!”

“Hillary!” said Julia. Hillary ran over and hugged her sister and her niece. “How’s my precious little pumpkin? I missed you so much!” Hillary smothered the baby with kisses. Julia handed her the baby, and Hillary gave a quick one-armed hug to Greg and asked how he was doing. Then she carried the baby over to Bucky.

“Baby Kate, can you say hi to your uncle Bucky?” Hillary cooed at the baby. “He’s your auntie Hillary’s best friend, yes he is.” 

“Uncle?” Bucky said, confused.

Steve coughed. 

“Yes. She’s all yours,” said Hillary. Bucky accepted the baby before he knew what he was doing. “This is Kate. Can you say hi, Kate?” Baby Kate was a chubby baby girl with a single brown pigtail on top of her head. Her big brown eyes were wide as she examined the stranger holding her. Bucky gave a nervous chuckle, and that was incentive for the baby to smile at him and coo.

“Yes that’s right, give him a smile,” Hillary encouraged her.

“I’m not good with babies,” Bucky protested. “But she’s cute.” He looked over at the baby’s dumbfounded parents.

“But we thought you were--gone,” said Julia. “Weren’t you convicted of terrorism a few weeks ago?”

“I was framed,” said Bucky, bouncing Kate in his arms. Steve leaned over to play with her a little. “We’ve all been through an ordeal. But, we’re here to help out the Hydra situation now.”

“It’s good to see you, man,” said Greg.

“Good to see you, too,” said Bucky. “I guess congratulations are in order for your baby girl. How old is she?”

“Three months now. Thanks.” Greg embraced Bucky and patted him on the back. Kate livened up at the sight of her father. “You want to see your daddy now? You want to see daddy? Here, let me take her.” Greg took the baby. “I don’t believe we’ve been introduced,” Greg said when he saw Coulson, Steve, and Sam. They introduced themselves, and Steve informed Greg that he had retired from being Captain America.

Julia went to the living room to greet her parents. Mitch was sitting on the couch petting Hedwig. 

Ten minutes after six, while Hillary and Bucky were playing the piano together, Trey announced that he was going to go pick up the pizza. “Bucky--you’re coming with me,” he said, looking squarely at Bucky. 

“Yes, sir,” said Bucky. He gave Hillary a shrug and followed Trey out the front door, leaving Hillary alone on the piano bench.

Mike and Susan arrived with their family at six fifteen. Oliver and Linsey went right into the living room to where Hillary was playing the piano.

“Auntie Hillary, you’re okay!” said Linsey.

Hillary swiveled herself off the piano bench and scooped up Linsey in a hug. Oliver reached up to hug her waist. “Yes, Linsey, I’m all right.” She kissed Linsey. “You didn’t need to worry about me.”

“Daddy said the bad people were going to hurt you,” said Linsey.

“The bad people are gone for now,” said Hillary. She dropped Linsey and went to greet her sister-in-law and brother. Their youngest son, Joey, greeted her with a “goo-boo.” 

Mike Tanner was looking around in confusion. “Who are all these guys?” he asked.

“The Avengers,” Hillary shrugged.

“I thought they got into a fight with each other, and they all got sent to prison.”

“Welll…” Hillary said.

“You’re not wrong,” said Steve.

“I mean, you’ve left out a few of the details,” said Sam. He and Steve walked up to greet Mike.

“But don’t tell me the Winter Soldier is here, too?” said Susan in alarm.

“Susan, last time we checked he had a name,” Jo rebuked her. Jo gave her daughter-in-law a hug anyway. 

Oliver walked up to Steve and looked him up and down. “You’re Captain America,” he said, pointing.

“What makes you say that?” said Steve, grinning.

“You’re so tall. And you’ve got huge muscles. And Captain America is friends with Aunt Hillary.”

“You’re right on all three, son. What’s your name?” 

Steve didn’t really mind Oliver calling him Captain America--he told Hillary later that he could still be Cap for the kids. They were probably a little young to understand anyway.

Hillary brought Linsey and Joey and Oliver over to the piano and played music with the older two, and she kept Joey sitting on her lap. Trey and Jo introduced Mike and Susan to Wanda and Natasha and Mitch. Wanda was happy to chat with them, although she wasn’t too comfortable giving them too many details about her latest adventures. Natasha sat on the couch next to Mitch, using her phone to surf the internet.

Shortly before six-thirty, Trey and Bucky returned, carrying six boxes of pizza each, and slung on his good arm Bucky also had two big liter-bottles of root beer. Trey held a third. Oliver and Linsey saw their grandfather enter and ran to the kitchen to greet them. Hillary got up from the piano after them, handing Joey back to Susan.

“How was it?” she asked Bucky as he put the pizzas on the counter.

“How was what?”

“Going with Dad?”

“Oh, it was fine,” said Bucky quietly. “He just wanted to...ask me how I was doing, seeing how I was coping after...losing Grace and all that.”

Hillary gave him an impromptu hug.

“Hey, I wasn’t gone for that long!”

“But it’s good to see you!” 

“Well, in that case--” Bucky picked up Hillary and spun her. She shrieked and giggled and hugged him back when he put her down. “Is Mark here yet?” he asked.

“No. I texted him right after you left to check and see if he was on his way,” said Hillary.

Jo and Susan went to the kitchen to get out the styrofoam plates and party cups. Hillary assisted them. Linsey came into the kitchen asking if they could have root beer floats for dessert. Mike came up to say hello to Bucky, and as they were talking, Jonathan Tanner came through the kitchen door, immediately followed by his daughter Maddie. Maddie got one look at Bucky and came running through the kitchen to meet him. Bucky couldn’t help bending down to catch her.

“I knew you’d come back!” she said. She then looked him in the face and said, “Mommy and Daddy said that you were a bad guy, but you were always nice to me.”

Bucky laughed. “I wish all the grown-ups in the world would listen to you, kid.” Bucky said hello to Maddie’s parents. Marie had their son Tayson at her heels, two years old and struggling to get away. She was also pregnant and showing considerably. Both Jonathan and Marie seemed hesitant to talk to Bucky--but they were also put off by the fact that their daughter had greeted him so warmly. Maddie took Bucky by one finger and led him to the living room, then let go so she could give her “favoritest cousin” Linsey a hug.  
Trey asked Hillary for an update on Mark.

“As far as I know, he’s still on his way,” was all she could answer, checking her phone again.

Trey decided to call everyone’s attention. He asked his son Mike to bless the food, and then the pizza and root beer were served. Natasha left off playing with her phone and went to get a slice of sausage pizza, and she stopped to say hello to Marie and Susan, being careful to keep the attention on them rather than herself. 

“Do you think Hedwig would like some pepperoni? Or sausage bites?” Mitch asked Coulson.

“I wouldn’t push it,” said Coulson. “I don’t think owls should eat junk food.”

Hedwig was very happy to sit in the corner and preen herself--and she was also entertained watching the fish in the fish tank. Natasha and Julia, Marie and Susan sat down close by on the couch but didn’t bother her. Greg was chatting with Mike and Coulson while he fed Kate from a bottle.

Hillary sat on the piano bench, holding onto her phone. Bucky sat next to her, chatting with Wanda. 

“Aren’t you gonna get something to eat?” Bucky asked Hillary, when he saw that she hadn’t gone for food yet.

“Nah, I thought I’d wait,” she said. 

At that moment, her phone went off.

“Is that him?” Bucky asked.

“Yes. Hold on I’ll be right back.” Hillary left her phone on the piano and left the room.

Bucky leaned closer to Wanda. “Let’s all clap when Mark walks in.”

“Why?”

“Just for fun,” said Bucky. “He and Hillary are getting married pretty soon. We should give them some respect.”

In whatever way Hillary and Mark had greeted each other outside, they didn’t take very long. They came in through the kitchen door holding hands. When Bucky heard their voices, he commenced clapping and elbowed Wanda to do the same. Coulson as well as several of the family caught on.

“Wait, what’s going on, why are we applauding?” Natasha asked. Then Mark appeared behind the kitchen counter--and his jaw dropped when he saw the people in the living room.

“Hey, Mark,” said Bucky, waving.

Mark turned to Hillary.

“I wanted to surprise you,” she said.

Bucky got up to greet Mark, but Steve beat him.

“Glad to see you,” said Steve.

“Cap! Oh my gosh! I thought you weren’t around any longer.” Mark laughed heartily.

“You know,” said Bucky, who’d gotten up right after Steve, “we were expecting you ten minutes ago.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry I’m late, traffic was terrible.” He hugged Bucky. “Good to see you, bro.”

“Since when is he your bro?” Steve asked him.

“I thought you’d heard that story already, Steve,” Mark said.

Jo and Trey came up to greet Mark. Mark apologized again for his lateness, but Trey wouldn’t hear of it, and invited him to have some pizza. Everyone got up to get seconds and thirds, and as the adults ate they moved around and struck up conversations with family members and strangers alike. Marie and Susan compared notes on the trips to visit their respective families during the last week with Jo and Julia. Coulson was deep in conversation with Sam, Trey, Jon and Greg about the politics of the Sokovia Accords. Mike was at the piano with Oliver and Linsey. Natasha had ended up in the corner again on her phone. Maddie was on the floor playing with Tayson and Joey, and Wanda moved between them and the conversation with Jo and her female relatives. Mark and Mitch were at the dining table, getting acquainted and swapping stories about Hillary. Hillary was at the dining table leaning on Mark’s shoulder, her pizza long ago finished. Steve and Bucky were listening to Mitch and Mark’s conversation, listening eagerly. Steve even contributed with the story of how Hillary had once saved his life when they’d both worked at S.H.I.E.L.D..

Jo got up to take her empty plate and cup to the garbage can, and when she’d finished that she pulled out her phone and started to text.

“Who are you texting, Mom?” Hillary asked her.

“I’m just telling Cody that we’re having a little get-together tonight,” said Jo. “Maybe you should send him something.”

Hillary nodded in agreement. 

“I got to meet Cody, finally, when I was up in Utah this weekend,” Mark commented.

“That’s cool,” said Hillary. 

Steve looked at Hillary. “So Cody got back from his mission right after Bucky left?”

“Yep. The very same day,” said Hillary. “It’s too bad. He would’ve liked to meet you,” she said to Bucky.

“Hey, didn’t we meet over Skype that Christmas?” Bucky asked her.

“Yeah--but that’s not the same, is it?” said Hillary. She thought for a moment. Then she sat up. “I’ve got an idea. Steve, Bucky, lean closer together, I’m gonna send Cody a picture of you two.”

“What?” said Bucky. 

“It’s for Cody. I promise, I’m not posting your first photo together since 1945 all over the internet. Now lean together. Look like you’re enjoying that pizza.”

Bucky held up his half-eaten slice of pepperoni. “Like this?”

“That’ll work? Just smile.”

Bucky gave a cheesy grin while Steve smiled serenely. Hillary snapped a couple of photos. “Looks excellent,” she said, reviewing them. She chose one and attached it to a text for Cody.

I’m having pizza tonight with these weirdos. Wish you were here! ;)

She sent the text. “Now we just wait for the reaction.”

“How’s he gonna react?” Bucky asked, taking a bite of pizza.

“Over the top, I hope.”

Bucky finished his pizza, and they threw away their plates. 

“Darn, too bad it’s all gone,” Bucky said as he examined one of the empty pizza boxes on the counter.

“I could’ve had room for two more of those,” said Steve longingly.

Sam shook his head. “Seriously, Rogers, how do you stay in shape?”

Wanda came over to join them. “How is Cody?” she asked.

“He’s doing all right,” said Hillary. “He’s taking spring classes up at BYU and working right now. And if you’re worried about him, Hydra is leaving him well alone.”

“Good. That’s one less thing we have to worry about,” Steve commented.

Hillary was chatting with them when her phone went off. Cody had sent a reply.

WHAT THE FREAKING HECK HILLARY I ALMOST DROPPED MY PHONE. IS THAT CAP AND BUCKY?

Hillary burst out laughing, and she showed the reply to her friends. 

“I’ve got an idea, let’s rub it in,” said Bucky. “We need a selfie.”

“Aw, come on, Buck,” said Steve.

“He likes you too, Steve, come on,” said Bucky, pulling him in behind Mark and Hillary as they posed. Wanda jumped in with them, and Sam pulled off a last-minute photo bomb. They were howling with laughter when they were finished. Hillary sent the second photo to Cody.

“What are you dears laughing about?” Jo asked, watching them from the couch.

“They think they’re so cute,” Natasha muttered under her breath.

Hillary did get a brief reply from Cody:

LOL you guys

Mitch came over to talk to Mark and Wanda for a little bit. Hillary stayed by Mark’s side, holding his hand. Steve and Bucky were talking close by--Bucky had noticed the picture of himself on the piano, and it turned out he wasn’t too upset by it.

After a few minutes of talking, Hillary noticed that Mark was feeling a little bit antsy. 

“I need to go out to my car for a minute--alone, if you don’t mind,” he excused himself quietly to Hillary and their friends. Hillary nodded and squeezed his hand before he let go. Mark snuck behind Hillary and then went around to the center of the living room. Hillary had her back turned, and she didn’t notice him asking for Steve and Bucky to follow him out of the room.

They followed him into the kitchen, but when they were in the utility room Mark told them to wait while he slipped outside. There was a minute of awkward silence as they waited for Mark to return. Mark opened the kitchen door a crack and gestured for them to come to the doorstep.

“What’s up?” Steve asked.

“While I was in Utah,” Mark prefaced, “I called in a favor with a friend of mine who works for a jewelry store in Orem.” Mark pulled a tiny box out of his pocket. Opening the lid, he revealed a silver ring with three diamonds on it, the center diamond lager than the two flanking ones. There was extra silver around the top of the band for decoration, folded into a wave pattern.

“Ah,” said Steve.

“An engagement ring?” said Bucky.

“Yes.”

“Well, then what are you waiting for?” Bucky encouraged him, grabbing Mark by the shoulders. He turned Mark around forcibly. “Go in there and give it to her!”

“No no no no no,” said Mark, shaking himself from Bucky’s grasp. “Listen. I was going to wait to give it to her.”

“For how long?” asked Steve, incredulous.

“At least a week or two,” Mark told him. “I feel like...Hillary’s been through enough this week. And I don’t want to propose to her with all of the family watching. I want to do something private. Personal.”

“So you’ll give it to her later?” Bucky asked, confused.

“When people get engaged, the groom will usually set up something cool for the proposal,” Steve explained. “Like a flash mob or a picnic or a candlelight dinner.”

“I don’t see why that’s necessary.”

“Yes, but, it’s just I wanted to do something, to show Hillary how much I love her,” said Mark, blushing, “when I ask her to marry me. I was thinking, since she was such good friends with you two, that you could help me with the proposal. Set up a surprise for her.”

“When are you thinking of doing this?” Steve asked him, folding his arms. 

“In a week or two. I’m not sure. I’m just telling you now because I wanted to give you guys a heads up. Is that okay? Will you do that for me?”

Bucky had to pause and think for a moment, just to process what Mark was asking. “Okay,” he nodded.

“We’ll help you,” said Steve.

“Thanks guys,” said Mark, grinning. “You’re the best.” He patted Steve on the shoulder. The two of them watched as Mark went to return the ring box to the car.

“I don’t think he means for us to sit and watch,” said Bucky.

Steve nodded and followed him back inside. 

 

They returned to the party without drawing too much attention. While everyone else was up talking, Bucky sat down on the piano bench next to Hillary. Sometimes he played along with her, but he mostly just sat and listened. Mark came up behind them and rested his hand on Hillary’s shoulder. At one point he even started to massage her back and she had to stop playing.

“Do you see what I have to put up with?” Hillary said to Bucky, barely able to keep from laughing.

Bucky gave her a smile because he was happy for her. She and Mark were cute together. But he couldn’t help feeling a little pang--it wasn’t straight-up jealousy so much as sadness at being reminded of how he and Grace had been.

Mark leaned over Hillary’s side and kissed her cheek. 

Bucky glanced at the crowd scattered across the kitchen and living room. Sam and Wanda were talking to Julia and Greg. Hedwig was back on Coulson’s shoulder while Coulson was talking to Steve and Trey. Jo was talking to her sons while her daughters-in-law were watching their children play from the kitchen table. It was so crowded in the room, Bucky was surprised that none of the children had wanted to go outside.

Then he glanced at the corner where Natasha Romanoff had been sitting most of the evening. She was gone. Mitch was sitting in the spot next to it.

Bucky got up from the piano bench. Mark immediately took his spot beside Hillary. Well, as he should. Bucky went and looked at the corner of the couch. Someone had left their phone lying next to the fish tank.

“Where’s Natasha? Have you seen her?” asked Bucky.

“Me, no,” said Mitch. “She was gone when I got here. Must’ve snuck off somewhere.”

“Is that her phone?” Bucky asked, pointing at the abandoned device.

“Must be. I’ve never seen it before. How many cell phones does that woman go through?”

Bucky shrugged. “You’ve got me.”

Mitch gestured at the empty spot on the couch beside him. “Sit down, bro. Let me get to know you.”

Bucky went ahead and sat on the couch next to Mitch. They chatted for a few minutes, mostly making small talk and watching Hillary’s nieces and nephews play on the floor. Hillary and Mark left the piano to join in the fun with the kids.

Mitch Sorensen was a nice kid. He was about the same age as Hillary, but had joined S.H.I.E.L.D. after its reorganization subsequent to Hydra’s exposure. He was the youngest of his family back in California and had nieces and nephews. And like Hillary, he’d gotten to know the new Avengers team fairly well.

“But, when we found out Hillary had been hiding you here, I didn’t blame her, since you had both come to my rescue against the Free Range Party,” Mitch said. “And I didn’t blame you, either, for wanting to hide from Steve or from S.H.I.E.L.D.. I’d heard enough of your story, bro. And I don’t like how General Ross or Tony Stark treated you, either, in the last few weeks.”

“Don’t you mean Secretary Ross?”

“He used to be a General. It doesn’t make much of a difference, really. He’s a rotten coward.”

Bucky smirked. “You’ve got that right.” They were both quiet for a minute. “What did you think of the Accords, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“I was for them, at first,” Mitch said thoughtfully. “It made sense to me. If the Avengers couldn’t govern themselves, then some higher authority would have to make the rules for them, make them take responsibility. And Steve didn’t need to throw them at every situation.”

“Yeah, right, he didn’t.”

“But it’s just...you turned up and everything turned into a mess--I’m not blaming you. But your situation proved that Ross wasn’t going to treat the Avengers fairly. Nobody was. But that’s life. You think you’re right about something, but then it turns out you’re wrong, and you just learn to deal with it.”

“I see,” Bucky nodded. Coulson hadn’t filled Mitch in on what Helmut Zemo had really been after. Bucky supposed that would have to come later.

“So with Hillary gone, does that make you Coulson’s new assistant?”

“Well, I already was his assistant, but with Hillary, yes, that will mean a lot more responsibility is being delegated to me. I’ve known this day was coming, though. Hillary was debating retiring from S.H.I.E.L.D. or transferring back to Tempe once she married Mark. I guess it came a lot sooner...it’s too bad about Agent Parsons. He was a good man.”

“Yeah,” said Bucky. From what he’d heard about Parsons, he couldn’t disagree.

He decided he wanted to get up for a drink of water. He went to the water tank and drank his fill, sipping while he watched Coulson and Steve chat with Trey. 

They were talking about Trey’s auto shop when Steve commented, “Well, hey, at least now you’ve got Bucky back to help out over there.” He reached over to pat Bucky on the shoulder; Bucky brushed Steve’s hand aside.

Coulson and Trey laughed heartily.

“Well, you don’t necessarily have permission to come over and harass me every hour of the day,” said Bucky. 

“Of course I won’t,” said Steve. “But you’ve got to let me come and see you sometimes. I’ll take you to lunch.”

Bucky shrugged. “I guess if there’s food involved.”

Coulson chuckled. “You know what’s important, don’t you?”

“Well, if you’ve lived on the streets as long as I have, you don’t take some things for granted,” said Bucky casually.

Hedwig chirped and started to jump over to Bucky’s arm.

“Whoa, hey, Hedwig,” said Bucky. The others stepped back. Hediwg perched herself comfortably on Bucky’s metal arm. She wasn’t terribly heavy, but Bucky wondered if he might get tired of her after a while.

“I guess she wants to take a break from me,” said Coulson. He pulled out his phone to check something.

Bucky looked at Trey. “Say, where’s that mangy cat of yours?”

“Mudder? He’s in the backyard,” said Trey, nodding at the sliding glass doors. “I saw him wandering around earlier. He’s probably curled up someplace for a nap. I doubt he’ll want to come inside when he sees Hedwig, though. They don’t like each other very much.”

“Oh really?” said Steve.

“Yeah. Hedwig came with Coulson at Thanksgiving. Mudder about pitched a fit every time that owl came in the house.”

Bucky chuckled. “Temperamental cat. I believe it.”

Coulson excused himself from their group and went to talk to Hillary, who was standing nearby talking to Sam and Wanda. Steve turned aside to talk to Trey. Bucky petted Hedwig for a moment. He lost interest in Steve and Trey and tried to eavesdrop on Coulson and Hillary, and he heard them mentioning Agent Parsons. It was probably something private anyway.

He looked up at Hedwig.

He suddenly heard her voice again in his mind.

She’s outside. She went to sit on the roof.

What?

Go.

Okay.

Hedwig hopped off from his arm to sit on the back of the armchair. Bucky went out the screen door. Nobody inside minded him that much.

It was still very warm outside, and the sun was only inching towards setting, the daylight casting everything in a shallow orange glow. The grass was overgrown from days of no mowing and crickets were chirping noisly in the growth.

Bucky went out beyond the back porch and turned around. There she was, sitting on the roof above where the kitchen was.

She looked down at him but didn’t say anything.

“Aren’t you hot up there?” Bucky called up to her.

She shook her head. “The air conditioning was running full-blast inside. I thought I could use some warmth. It’s a bit nicer right now than it was earlier.”

“Mind if I come up and join you?”

“If you can find a way up.”

Bucky went past the kitchen window to the A/C unit. He stepped up it but had to stretch to haul himself over the rain gutter and onto the hot tar roof.

“Whew, it’s like a frying pan up here,” he said, lying on his back.

“Very cute.” 

Bucky sat up and crawled across the roof, and then he sat up next to Natasha.

“How’s the view?” he asked her.

“Not much to look at, really,” said Natasha. “Just some trees, some of which I’m pretty sure don’t naturally grow in this climate. More houses. We occasionally get an airplane flying over.” She leaned backwards and looked over her shoulder. “If you look this way, you can see a glimpse of the city, one of the mountains. It’s not bad.”

Bucky looked backward the way she did. Through a gap in the suburban features, one could see down the slight hill towards Scottsdale and Camelback Mountain. “Nice.” He leaned forward again. “So...what brought you out here?”

“Well...I guess I was just tired of apartment hunting from my phone. Would’ve been rude to get on the computer and keep doing that, in the middle of everyone--”

“They wouldn’t have minded.”

“No, and besides, I’ve already looked up all of the most recent listings for today anyway. Most of the residential offices are probably closed by now, so no one would be answering my emails until tomorrow.”

“You know, if we’re having a party, you should be relaxing, taking your mind off things.”

“I filled my social quota for today, talking to Hillary’s in-laws. They only want to ask me questions that I don’t have good answers to.” She rubbed her arm.

Bucky looked at her. “You miss the Bartons, don’t you?”

“I never really had much of a family. When I joined S.H.I.E.L.D., I was on assignments, I didn’t really stop to get to know anyone I was with. It was just Coulson and Fury and a few people at headquarters that I ever let myself get close to. The Avengers...well, if we were a family, we were a dysfunctional one.” She gave him a look like she wanted to say he knew what she was talking about. “But Barton...he made me a part of his family. Laura and Lila and Cooper were the only constant in my life. Them leaving…”

“It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it?” said Bucky.

“Yeah. It’s a big change.”

Bucky wanted to reassure her, but he didn’t quite know how. “You...you will see them again, someday. It’s not just wishful thinking, it’s a fact. It could be years from now, of course--”

She rubbed her forehead. Not what she’d wanted to hear.

“Well, Natasha...you saw what happened today. The Tanners didn’t hesitate to take any of you guys in. They’re more than willing to help you out. And I’ll bet they’re willing to make you a part of their family, the way they did for me.”

Natasha looked down at her hands in her lap. “I’ve tried to keep things professional over the last couple of years, with Hillary. I didn’t--I didn’t need to--”

“Didn’t need to what?”

“I didn’t need her to even be friends with me. Just be a colleague I could trust. It was all I ever asked of anyone at S.H.I.E.L.D., even Rogers--even if they couldn’t trust me in return.”

“Yeah--it’s hard to accept help from other people, sometimes. I’ve been there.”

“It’s even harder when you have nothing to give them in return.”

“You don’t need to be too hard on yourself. Just be patient.”

Natasha laughed quietly.

“What?”

“You know how many times I’ve heard that from everybody else over the last week? I never thought it’d be you, too.”

“Well, you’ll find I’m full of surprises.”

“That’s not a terribly original thing to say,” Natasha replied.

“But do I need to be original?”

Natasha smiled at him.

“What?”

“James Barnes, you are something else.”

She’d called him James. Obviously he’d done something to please her. “What do you mean by that?” Maybe that was pushing his luck.

“Well...it just might mean that I think you’re a pretty decent guy.”

‘A pretty decent guy.’ Well, if that was the hard earned-compliment he’d earned from her, then maybe they’d be able to get along on this new venture. “Thanks.”

 

Natasha and Bucky did go back inside, eventually. Greg and Julia had left with baby Kate while they were absent, and so had Mitch. And by the time they did return, Tayson had gotten into a fight with Joey and the both of them had started crying. The older children were starting to fuss, too, so Mike and Jonathan rounded up their kids, said their goodnights, and headed out the kitchen door the way they had come. Maddie squeezed a hug around Bucky’s leg before she left.

Coulson approached Natasha with Hedwig on his shoulder. Steve was leaning against the counter close by.

“Where were you?” he asked her.

“Getting some fresh air.”

“All right. I’m thinking I’m going to head out, too. But Doug Parsons’ family messaged me a little while ago. They are planning a graveside service for Doug tomorrow at nine a.m. Steve and Hillary and I are all going. Would you like to join us?”

“If you let me dig in my suitcase I think I’ll be able to find something to wear. I’d be honored.”

Bucky went over to the piano where Hillary and Mark were still sitting together. Steve gave him an inquiring look as he passed by, but Bucky only shrugged.

“I sure appreciate that,” said Coulson. “I know it’s probably not a good idea for you to be making a public appearance right now--”

“I won’t be. I’ll be undercover. But Doug would understand. He was one of like ten people I knew back in the day who didn’t turn out to be working for Hydra.”

“Ah, Nat, we had more friends than that,” said Steve.

“I’m not being literal, Rogers.”

“You’ve still got those glasses for me, right?” Steve asked her.

“I do. We’ll just tell the family we’re old friends of his from S.H.I.E.L.D.--technically that’d be telling the truth.”

“Yeah,” said Coulson. 

“What year was it that Parsons joined S.H.I.E.L.D.?” Natasha asked Coulson. “‘97? ‘98?”

“It was ‘94, actually,” said Coulson. “Only a couple of years after myself. But he was one of the few greenhorns I met that never acted like a greenhorn. He was just on top of things right from the get-go.” He started to reminisce. Natasha had a few memories of Parsons to share as well. Steve listened, remembering back to the good times he’d had at S.H.I.E.L.D..

Coulson was so caught up talking with Natasha that he was taken aback when Mark interrupted to say he was leaving.

“Oh, hey, well, goodnight, then,” said Coulson awkwardly. Regaining his composure, he shook hands with Mark. “It was good to see you again, Mark.”

“You too, sir,” said Mark.

“I want to hear as soon as possible about a wedding date, is that understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Mark said nervously.

“We’ll get on it,” Hillary reassured him. Hillary walked Mark outside to his car. Coulson continued talking with Steve and Natasha. Bucky started playing the piano, picking out some songs he’d learned the year before with a little difficulty. Wanda sat close by to listen. Sam was talking to Trey Tanner.

Hillary returned after a few minutes, a shy smile on her face.

“What were you two doing in there?” Natasha asked her.

“Saying goodbye,” said Hillary. “Who is that playing, Bucky?”

“How long does it take to say goodbye?” Natasha pressed her.

“How long until you see each other again?” Steve inquired.

“Dunno. Maybe tomorrow, if we got time. If not it’ll be Sunday for sure. I go to church with him when I’m down here.” Hillary sighed. “Gallas, I’m in love with him. Why wouldn’t I want to spend every available minute with Mark?”

“Won’t see enough of him once you get married?” Sam teased.

“Cut ‘em some slack, you guys,” Bucky called over from the piano. “The last time she saw Mark she didn’t know if she was ever going to see him again.” 

“By the way, Coulson,” Hillary said, “I told Mark about the promotion you offered me. He’s all for it.” She walked up to the piano bench and stood behind Bucky. “What are you playing?”

“Trying to remember one of the songs you taught me,” he said, stumbling through a few chords. “Something about peanut butter and jelly. How does it go? ‘I’m peanut butter, and --”

“‘You are jelly’,” Hillary sang back. 

“‘And we’re so happy on our little piece of bread,’” he sang with her. But he didn’t know the words after that. So Hillary continued singing:

I remember the first time that I saw you   
Sitting cross the cupboard with your other jelly friends.  
And you're so sweet and I am chunky  
You're low fat well I'm working on that   
‘Cause I’m peanut butter and you are jelly  
We're so happy on our little piece of bread...

He joined in singing the last two lines with her. Coulson watched them, his back resting on the counter, Hedwig sinking lower onto his shoulder with contentment.

Wanda laughed. “That is a fun song. Is there more?”

“Yes, lots more,” Bucky said.

“You guys have fun. I need to go,” Coulson said.

“Ohhh,” said Wanda.

“It was good seeing all of you,” said Coulson. Wanda ran over to him for a hug and she patted Hedwig.

“See ya, boss,” said Natasha.

“I’m not your boss anymore.”

Natasha hugged him anyway. Coulson hugged Steve, shook hands with Sam, and patted Bucky on the shoulder. “I’ll see you at the funeral tomorrow,” he said to Hillary.

“Goodnight, sir,” Hillary told him. She continued to play out and sing the Peanut Butter and Jelly song, with Bucky supporting her on the chords. Coulson was humming the tune on the way out of the house.

“That was fun,” said Bucky, grinning. “Cute little love song. Wish I could’ve remembered it for Grace.”

“Well, hey, it can be about friendship, too,” said Hillary, giving Bucky an elbow in the ribs.

He laughed. “Let’s not get too sentimental. Hey, who wants to play some games?” 

Steve and Wanda expressed some interest, as did Natasha. Bucky went to the game closet and got out the Uno cards. Hillary and the others sat on the floor. Sam reluctantly joined them and Bucky dealt him in. 

Trey opened the screen door to admit Mudder the cat. He collected Mudder’s food and whatever dishes from the porch and took them to the utility room. Mudder followed him there, meowing hungrily.

Trey and Jo were in the kitchen, cleaning up the last of the mess from dinner. They listened as Hillary and her superhero friends started playing Uno. Sam had the misfortune of sitting right between Natasha and Bucky, who played their Draw Twos and Skips on him eagerly as the order of play was reversed back and forth. Steve called “Uno” and no one was able to stop him from going out. They started a second game, and then a third. Trey and Jo watched their guests for a few minutes, and then they retired to their room. It was eight o’clock.

“I am not a fan of these sissy kids games,” said Sam after he had to Draw Four.

“Kids games? You should play this game with adults more often. It can get brutal,” said Natasha, drawing a card.

“Uh-huh. And how would you know about that?”

“Take my word for it, Wilson. You know how I am about sharing specifics.”

Hillary glanced up at Steve. “I never thought I’d be playing Uno with you ever again.”

“I know, right?”

“Didn’t think I’d be doing this again with you, either,” said Bucky. He played a Skip on her.

“What?” Hillary exclaimed.

“That’s affectionate of you, Bucky,” said Steve as he played a Draw Two on Wanda.

Wanda played another Draw Two. “Are we playing stacks?” she asked.

“No,” said Sam tersely. 

“I wouldn’t mind if we were, actually,” said Natasha, playing another Draw Two.

“Draw your own freaking cards guys, gosh,” said Sam, picking up six cards. 

“Okay then, I guess we are playing stacks,” said Bucky. Then he whispered to Hillary, “What does ‘stacks’ mean?”

He figured out pretty quickly how stacks worked, as well as sluffs. The group played a few more rounds of Uno. 

Afterwards, they got up and stretched. Hillary and Steve and Natasha wound up talking about “the good old days” at S.H.I.E.L.D.. Sam shared a few short reminisces about his days in the military. Bucky was happy to sit on the couch and listen. 

Mudder the cat had eaten his fill and he came to the living room. He walked up to Bucky and then jumped on his lap. He sniffed the fingers on Bucky’s metal arm, and, satisfied that it was him, curled up on his lap. Steve tried to pet Mudder but got hissed at.

“Those were the days, huh?” Natasha said. “I suppose we can keep talking later.” She yawned. “I need to get to bed. I’ve had a long day today.” She stood up.

“All right then, Nat. Goodnight.”

“Relax, Rogers. I’m not actually going to sleep yet.”

“Do you need me to help you find a place to lie down?” Hillary asked.

“That would be great, thanks,” said Natasha. Natasha and Hillary went down the hallway while the others stayed and talked. Hillary returned while Natasha was in the bathroom.

“Natasha says she’s going to sleep on the extra mattress in my room,” said Hillary. “Which one of you wants to sleep in Cody’s room? We can get another mattress in there, if you like.”

“I can take Cody’s bed,” said Sam. “Cap, what were you thinking?”

“Dunno,” he said. He looked at Bucky, but Bucky didn’t answer.

“And where would you like to sleep, Wanda?” Hillary asked her.

“I can sleep on the couch out here. It is fine,” Wanda shrugged.

“The couch, seriously?” said Steve.

“I’ve slept on it before. It is comfortable.”

“Would you like to sleep on the couch, Steve?” Bucky asked. “I can sleep on the floor. This carpet’s actually quite soft.”

“Bucky, you don’t need to--”

“Steve, it’s fine.” Bucky looked up at Steve and smiled: he was home and he he didn’t care where he slept.

“Fine,” said Steve, shrugging.

“I’ll get some bedding for you guys,” said Hillary, heading for the hall closet.

“Seriously, you don’t mind sleeping on the floor, Barnes?” said Sam.

“Do you?”

“What’s the worst place you ever slept in, while you were homeless?” Steve asked.

“A garbage dumpster. I was in the midwest somewhere and it was raining. Just miserable. Couldn’t find anyplace else in that alley to hide that had enough shelter. I’ll go inside garbage dumpsters to hide but not to sleep. But that one time, I had to because it was so wet--seriously, two inches of water on the blacktop. I was counting on some big bags of soft crumpled paper and such--someone had dumped a broken mirror, glass everywhere, the frames sticking out. And someone had spilled their rotten milk and eggs in there, too. I was dead tired but I couldn’t fall asleep for half an hour--I dug out some of the softer garbage to lay on but it still poked through, and plus the smell--yeah. I’m never doing that again.” Mudder stood up on the couch, stretched, and went to an empty spot to groom himself.

“Stands to reason why you got your own place in Romania,” said Steve.

“Yeah. Living with other people is fine. I’ll do it if I have to. But I’d rather have a place of my own, if I can.”

Steve and Sam compared different apartments that they had lived in over the years. Mudder finished preening himself and walked across the couch to Wanda.

Hillary came bearing a stack of sheets, pillows, and blankets and set them on the armchair. “Here you are, guys.”

“Thanks, Hillary,” they said in rough unison.

“If you need anything, I’ll be in the back, getting ready for bed.” Hillary returned to her room.

Wanda gently heaved Mudder away from her side and got up to start making her bed on the left side of the couch. She and Steve went to Cody’s room to get their nightclothes from their suitcases. Sam asked Bucky about when he’d lived with the Tanners before. Wanda and Steve returned and listened, Wanda pitching in the accounts of her two prior visits there.

Natasha came in, dressed in an oversized T-shirt and plaid pajama bottoms. “Hey, guys, I’m going to bed now, goodnight.”

“Night,” they answered her.

After another ten minutes or so of talking, Sam retired to Cody’s room. Then Wanda decided to stretch out on her side of the couch. Steve and Bucky continued to talk quietly. Steve then got up to make his bed. Bucky looked at the pile of bedding to see what he wanted to pick out, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to start yet. Then Hillary came up the hall, wearing her yellow bathrobe. 

“Do you have everything you need?” Hillary asked him.

He walked up to her.

“I’ve slept on less, you know that.” He smiled slightly. 

“Must be nice, to be able to make a bed with as much or as little as you like,” Hillary commented.

“More like what I’m used to, from living off the streets.”

Hillary chuckled. And then she hugged him very tenderly. They pulled apart and nodded goodnight to each other wordlessly.

Steve laid awake while Bucky made up his bed on the floor. He went to the bathroom and when he returned he removed his shoes and placed them next to Steve’s at the foot of the couch. Bucky laid down and pulled the covers up to his head. He closed his eyes and gave a sigh of contentment. And then he opened them and looked up at Steve.

“So do you...not change clothes, normally, when you go to sleep?”

“I don’t really see the point behind pajamas,” said Bucky quietly. “I guess I’m used to sleeping in whatever clothes I’m wearing.” 

Steve sniffed.

“Oh no.”

“Back in the day--” Steve began.

“Back in the day,” Bucky echoed.

“You had a pair of pinstriped blue silk pajamas that you were very proud of. And a plush bathrobe. Purple. You were so mad the army didn’t let you take them with you. Just a plain brown set and a black robe. No slippers. You hated having cold feet in the morning.”

“Still do.”

“And back in Brooklyn, you had the finest pair of slippers in town. You got them for Christmas when you were fourteen and passed your old ones down to me.”

“Darn it, Steve.”

“You’re welcome.

“I didn’t say ‘Thank you’.”

Steve laughed. He was quiet for a moment. “You know, I never thought, after all you’d been through, I never thought I’d see you again be as happy as you were earlier today, when you were with Hillary.”

Bucky gave a wan smile. “That’s probably why I ran for so long. I didn’t know if...I didn’t know if I could be, after Grace. And I knew that Hydra wouldn’t let me be happy here, if I came back.”

“Well, notice they didn’t put on any surprise appearances tonight,” said Steve.

“Right. I guess S.H.I.E.L.D. really made a point with their attack on Wednesday.”

“That’s good to know,” said Steve. He held off on saying that all those people had died just so they could sleep safely. But it had been his experience that in the grand scheme of things, that wasn’t how those costs were counted. “But...I have to admit, I’m still jealous of how you let Hillary so close to you.”

“Mah, that’s not gonna last. She’s getting married.”

“Even with Mark around. They’re both fond of you.”

Bucky looked up at Steve with a face that read What on Earth am I going to do about you.

“You’re stuck with me, now,” said Steve. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“I’ll get used to it, I suppose,” said Bucky. “But you’re not going in the field with me to fight Hydra.”

“No, but when you’re not--”

“You’ll still be working for S.H.I.E.L.D..”

“S.H.I.E.L.D. is who you’re reporting to. We will have to see each other, sometimes. Unless, of course, you wanted to get a place together. You and me and Sam. I think you two would get along.”

“Let’s talk about it in the morning, please,” said Bucky.

“Okay then. But it’s something to think about.”

“Can I go to sleep now?”

“Okay. Go ahead.”

“Goodnight, then.”

“Goodnight, Bucky.”

Bucky turned around on his pallet and faced the other way. He was sleeping soundly within minutes. 

Even if he was reluctant to be with Steve, Steve realized, Bucky would be okay with him tagging along, in the end. Whatever would come while they were in Arizona, they would face it together. And that was all Steve wanted.


	14. Cody

Brooklyn, 1946

Elizabeth Buchanan Barnes had to be nearly carried into the Mill Street Church by her husband and younger son. Her daughter Mary stood behind her, touching her mother’s shoulder and trying to give her some kind of comfort as they came down the aisle. The solemn-faced congregation watched the bereaved family enter the chapel. 

Steve’s mother’s brother had come with his family to represent Captain Rogers at the memorial service. He was waiting at the front of the aisle by the reserved pews, and he embraced Mrs. Barnes when she approached him and helped her to her seat.

The church was decorated with red, white, and blue flowers, generously provided by Howard Stark. Below the pulpit, on a table, there were framed photos of the late Sgt. James Barnes and Captain Steven Rogers, both resplendent in military uniforms, and around the table were displayed the various medals the two of them had garnered during the war. The war had made heroes out of many men, but many of them, like these two, were also martyrs. 

Timothy “Dum-Dum” Dugan and Jim Morita had come to represent the Howling Commandoes. Colonel Chester Philips was present as well. After the eulogies had been given by Steve’s uncle and Bucky’s father, the Colonel gave a speech about Steve’s participation in Project Rebirth, his daring rescue of Bucky in defiance of orders, and the career they had shared fighting Hydra. Mrs. Barnes wept quietly through all of the speeches.

A choir, made up of the friends and neighbors of the Barneses, came forward and sang “Danny Boy” for both of the fallen heroes. When they finished, not a sound was to be heard in the chapel except for Mrs. Barnes’ prolonged sobbing.

The pastor rose to the pulpit, and all eyes in the audience were fixed on him. Their ears were open, curious to hear how their spiritual leader had turned the memorial service for these two heroes from their neighborhood into a sermon.

He opened the Bible, going a little too far past the book of Psalms but falling short of the New Testament. And he began to read from Jeremiah:

15 Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.

16 Thus saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. 

17 And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own border.

The pastor was looking down at the front pew, directly at Mrs. Barnes. She had stopped crying and was looking at him with rapt attention. The room was heavy with expectation: what was he going to say to clarify that quote? But the pastor closed the Bible and retired from the pew. A congregant rose to give the closing prayer, but he could hardly be heard for the buzz of whispering throughout the chapel. Had the pastor gone loony in his old age? Didn’t he know that Steve and Bucky were DEAD? What could he mean, by saying something so insensitive to the families of the departed? “Refrain thy voice from weeping,” indeed! Unless he was making some oblique reference to the Resurrection (which no one there really believed in), then it made no sense at all. Mrs. Barnes was seen crying even more bitterly as she left the church, all the more unable to make sense of the death of her beloved older son and his best friend.

That pastor retired two years later and died a year after that. And he never gave a word of explanation about his sermon that day.

Seventy years to the day and a bit from that memorial service, the pastor’s reading of Jeremiah had been, in part, fulfilled. Three and a half years earlier, Steve Rogers had quietly slunk into the congregation for the Christmas service and been a regular at that event for the following three years. The children and grandchildren of those who had been at the double memorial for him and Bucky were all the more bewildered but delighted he had returned, nonetheless. 

 

The congregants at the Mill Street church had decided to leave alone the stained-glass window of Captain America and Bucky Barnes. For its artistic and historic value alone it was worth keeping, and plus it matched the window across it commemorating their community’s other World War II veterans. The distant relatives of Steve and Bucky who still lived in New York would have taken it as a blow to the families’ pride if the window was removed. In light of recent world events, the churchgoers had decided that it served as a monument to the hero that Captain America had been and not the vigilante he had become. As for Bucky being the Winter Soldier, a few people at the church had already heard Steve’s side of the story--notably the current pastor. So the window remained as a monument to the two young men who had once walked the streets of that Brooklyn neighborhood and never returned.

But that wasn’t how the two aspiring vandals on the street saw it. One of them had run about half a block down to find two rocks large enough to hurl at the window and smash it to pieces.

“You can have the first go, Jerry,” said the other. “Your friend died in Vienna, right?”

“Right,” said Jerry, fingering the rock. “What do you think, Zack, bet I could get Barnes in the head?”

“Go for the arm,” said Zack. “Then they’d have to update it to look like he does now.” 

“If there’s enough of the window left.” The two of them snickered.

“Where do you want to get it?” asked Jerry.

“Smack in the middle of that shield. Then I’m gonna go find another rock and hit it through Cap’s head.”

Jerry smirked. “You do that.” He stepped back and threw the rock. It sailed in a perfect arc right for Bucky’s stained-glass face--and then something zipped down from above and caught it. The white web yanked up the rock like a yo-yo to the person who had cast it, a red and blue figure perched on the gable above the window.

“Good throw!” exclaimed Spider-Man, climbing forward into view. 

Jerry and Zack stepped back, open-mouthed. “How did you get up there?” Zack shouted.

“I climbed,” said Spider-man. His voice was surprisingly young.

“I thought you were out in Queens. What’re you doing in Brooklyn?”

Spider-Man shrugged. “Oh, you know, I got a new suit, I thought I’d test it out, do a little sight-seeing.” He climbed down one side of the window, jumped to the other, and then swung himself onto the roof like a monkey. “You should be more careful where you throw those. If you break something, you’ll have to pay for it--and I should hate to think how much that window would cost. I’m actually helping you out, if you think about it.” He tossed the rock back down to the two men. Jerry and Zack scrambled to get out of the way.   
“Yeah, well, haven’t you heard?” said Jerry, “Captain America and his best friend are terrorists now. The neighbors will thank us for blowing up that window.”

“Oh really?” said Spider-man, now dropping himself off the church roof and hanging by one arm. “Because I met Captain America recently. He’s actually a nice guy. Stay out of trouble, you two.” Spider-Man shot a web over the street to the next building and glided over Zack and Jerry’s heads before disappearing.

 

The group selfie from Hillary and the Avengers had been the final straw. Around nine in the evening in Provo, Cody took his car to the nearest convenience store to fill up on gas and buy snacks and caffeine, and then he got onto I-15 south and started driving. He stopped in Panguitch, Utah to take a power nap and then top off his tank. And then he drove down US-89--going almost the same speed he had on the interstate--and didn’t stop until he got to Flagstaff, Arizona. Again, the same routine, top-off and power nap. When he woke up from the second power nap the sun was coming up. 

He was long overdue for a visit. He’d been telling himself after his mom and dad left Utah that he would go home and see them for a weekend in a week or two. But his sister was home, and what was more, so was Bucky. He hadn’t asked for details about Captain America and the others. He just knew he had to get there. He wasn’t scheduled to work that Saturday, and the homework could wait. It was now or freaking never.

The Saturday morning traffic was busy but not congested. He made it home at around eight. There was a white Nissan parked on the curb in front of Hillary’s car. Other than that, everything looked normal on the outside.

Cody would have been surprised if anyone was awake--if they’d been partying hard last night they would more than likely sleep in. And plus Hillary had been working overtime for the last month. But when he approached the kitchen door, he heard muffled voices. Then he entered.

Hillary was standing at the counter, eating a bowl of cereal. She hastily put it down. 

“CODEEEY!” she whispered hoarsely, hugging him. Cody gave her the biggest hug he could muster.

“Did Mom and Dad know you were coming?”

“No, this was completely unplanned.”

“You drove down all the way from Provo? When did you leave?”

“Nine o’clock last night. I stopped to sleep in Panguitch and Flag. No big deal.”

“Dude, even I can’t drive that far in one night,” said a deep voice behind them. It was Steve Rogers.

“Cap!”

“Come here.” Steve gave Cody a bear hug. “Did you come down because you were missing all of the fun?”

“I will neither confirm nor deny that. Where’s--”

“SHH!” Hillary hissed. “Quiet, you’ll wake the children!”

“What children?”

Without a word, Hillary led him around the kitchen counter. He got a good look at Wanda Maximoff and Bucky Barnes asleep in their living room. Wanda had the couch while Bucky was tangled in a pile of blankets on the floor.

“Golly, they must be tired, if they’re sleeping through your commotion,” said Cody. He turned to Steve. “How have you been?”

“Been worse,” Steve shrugged. “I’m not Captain America anymore. I’ve been declared a terrorist and a vigilante. And Tony Stark is mad at me. But I’ve got my best friend from back in the day with me. I can’t complain.”

“Hey, that’s what counts,” said Cody. “I just wanted to meet this guy who was sleeping in my room while I was on my mission. Did you sleep in my room, last night?”

“No, I did,” said a tall black guy who came out of the hallway at that moment, freshly showered. “Sam Wilson.”

“The Falcon,” said Cody. “Pleasure to meet you. I’m Cody.”

“You’ve got weird taste in decorations, bro,” said Sam. “Did you just get here?”

“Yes. I drove down overnight from Utah.”

Sam huffed. “Crazy people,” he muttered. “Well, I’m up now, so if you need a snooze, go right ahead.”

“Would you like something to eat first?” Hillary asked him.

“I’m fine, I was snacking on my way down here. Snacking and drinking Mountain Dew and listening to pop rock at the loudest volume possible. But good to see you, sis.” He hugged Hillary again.

“Nighty-night, baby brother.”

Another person came out of the hallway. It was the Black Widow.

“Cody, what are you doing here?”

“Came to crash the Avengers party,” said Cody eagerly. “How are you?”

“Doing fine, thanks.”

“You’re looking dapper,” he said, noting her black dress and heels.

“Thanks. I’m going to a funeral.”

“A funeral?”

“My old boss Agent Parsons,” said Hillary. “He died in the firefight on Wednesday.”

“Oh, sis, I’m so sorry.”

“Thanks. They’re having a brief memorial service for him at nine.”

“Hillary, is your dad up yet?” Steve asked her.

“I haven’t seen him yet,” said Hillary. “He’s gonna flip when he sees that Cody’s here.”

Cody laughed. “Probably not the best surprise you’ve had this weekend,” he said. “I’m going down now.”

He went to his bedroom. He crawled onto the bed and pulled up the sheets and was asleep instantly.

 

It seemed like only moments later, Cody woke to the smell of something cooking in the kitchen and the sound of loud voices talking in the living area. He checked his digital clock: it was past noon-thirty. 

He got up and went into the living room. Steve and Hillary and Natasha were back from the funeral, still dressed in black. His mom had the griddle going on the counter and she was making pancakes--for lunch? But Jo let Natasha take over the grill while she and Trey went to tell off Cody for his surprise road trip--and they still hugged him, a lot. Wanda came up and hugged him--that was a surprise.

“So you’re Cody?” said a voice he didn’t recognize.

There he was, not quite as tall as Steve but just as muscular, face framed by a mess of dark hair, a metal arm peeking out of the left sleeve. 

“Yes. And you’re Bucky. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“So that one time we talked over Skype doesn’t count?”

“Maybe.”

Bucky pulled him into a hug.

“Welcome home.”

“Hey, you too.”

Bucky pulled back abruptly. “Did you come all this way just to say that to me?”

“Yes, I did,” Cody answered him, grinning.

Bucky turned and looked at Hillary. “Your brother is crazy, I like him.” He looked back at Cody and added, “Come on, let’s get you something to eat.”

Cody recalled Steve’s line about Tony Stark earlier. He was smart enough to know that this wasn’t quite a happy ending. It was more like a beginning. He liked that thought.

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. "What was I supposed to do, ask them kindly, ‘I want to be locked in a box and think about what I’ve done?'" a quote from my friend and fellow cosplayer Benji Seekins  
> 2\. "Quiet, you'll wake the children!" quote from my old roommate Hanna Mecham


End file.
